Elementary school bond passes; high school fails

By ALEX STRICKLAND

Bigfork Eagle

In an election where slightly over half of registered voters weighed in, the Bigfork Elementary School bond passed by a slim margin and the high school bond failed by nearly the same spread.

Fifty-two percent of eligible voters responded, according to Bigfork School District Business Manager Eda Taylor, who helped steer the entire bond issue process through the legalities of voting.

Tuesday night's final tallies were, for the elementary school bond: 1,001 for, 920 against; and for the high school bond 1,249 for, 1,333 against.

"This never turned into a political issue," said Bigfork School District Superintendent Russ Kinzer. "People voted what they believed and that's what we wanted."

Kinzer's office provided the community with a comprehensive information packet and presented the information at meetings and events around Bigfork leading up to the election. Officially, Kinzer and Taylor were neutral parties, but the feeling at the District Office Tuesday night turned from cautious optimism after the elementary vote came in to somber as the high school results were announced.

The elementary school bond was for $5.5 million and the high school for $11.1 million.

Kinzer and Taylor said that in conversations with some community members who questioned the issue it was mentioned that some people just couldn't afford the tax hike that school renovations would incur.

"It's a legitimate reason not to support the issue if people can't afford it," Kinzer said.

Though the overall outcome wasn't exactly what he hoped for, School Board member Scott Reichner said he was glad that there was such a large response from the community.

"It's a good start," he said.

The passage of one issue and not the other raises some questions about how to best proceed, Kinzer said. Money for improvements to the site was split between the two bonds and Kinzer said it's unclear what changes can be made with the money in the smaller bond.

"There will be some discussion about what to do now," he said. "The board has viewed this as a whole plant upgrade."

Despite the fact that the ballots were due the day after Columbus Day — a holiday for postal employees — Taylor said the Bigfork Post Office brought an extra pile of mail over Tuesday afternoon though the regular mail time for the schools is in the morning.

"I feel comfortable that all the ballots that were sent got here," she said.

Sixty-five people hand-delivered their ballots to the office Tuesday.

The bond issue was brought on over the course of the last few years in which an 18-month study conducted by the board of trustees, a Coeur d'Alene architecture firm and a facility analysis firm highlighted insufficient instructional space, outdated classrooms and a shortage of administrative and program space. The study also concluded that a renovation and addition project was more feasible than construction of a new building.

"This was a very comprehensive and deliberate process," Kinzer said. "This is really based upon the impact of current facilities on ability to give programming."

Current bonding limits are $12.5 million for the high school and $9.84 million for the elementary school, which is not enough to buy land and construct new facilities from the ground up, according to the study.

Slated improvements at the elementary school include new primary grade classrooms, middle school classroom and science rooms and enlarged cafeteria and kitchen areas among others.

"In the elementary school, the main part is 40 years old and now the office is in the middle of the building," Kinzer said. "There's not a designated front of the building; you have to walk through the cafeteria to get to the office."

The relocated office and main entrance in the plans would increase security and cut down on confusion, he said.

Other changes would include adjusted parking lots and drop-off zones and a parent vehicle traffic lane adjacent to Commerce Street.

High school construction would have included a new common area/cafeteria, a weight room, renovated art and computer rooms as well as a new and enlarged library.

The renovations would have also phased out portable classrooms currently used for 6th graders and high school math classes. Those buildings, designed to be temporary structures, are nine and 18 years old and, according to Kinzer, showing sign of their age.

"They're becoming less and less serviceable because of the type of building that they are," he said.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in June 2009, but Kinzer said the district doesn't want to drag its feet.

"We'd like to expedite the project," he said.

Even without the passage of the high school bond, there remains plenty to do for Kinzer and his staff.

As Reichner left the office at about 11 p.m. Tuesday after hearing the results he thanked Kinzer for his hard work and patted him on the back.

"You've got an elementary school to build now," he said with a smile. "Get to work."