Board to hold July info meeting about school addition
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
The Underwood School Board could actually just go ahead and tell the school’s patrons that they’re going to be adding on to the building, but they would rather get the public’s blessing rather than just dive in.
With that in mind, the board scheduled an informational meeting to update patrons about the proposed $2.2 million addition on Wednesday, July 22, starting at 6:30 p.m.
In visiting with folks about the project, school board president, Jim LeRoy, says he thinks the idea of the addition, which would go across most of the front of the current gym and high school building, with improved handicap accessibility and improved security, as well as a nurse’s office, a central administrative location and a commons area for students, will go over pretty well with the local tax payers.
"As long it doesn’t raise our taxes a ton," said LeRoy, is what he has heard the most.
The school already has about $600,000 in its coffers that could be used for the project, but that still leaves about $1.6 million that would need to be paid for, most likely with a bond levy that would equal about 6 to 7 mills.
The best case financial scenario as far as the school district is concerned, would be to put it to a vote of the people, noted Supt. Brandt Dick, because if it is approved by 60 percent of the voters, the school is eligible for a 2 percent loan, which would save the district $200,000 to $300,000 over the 3.2 percent loan the school would have to take out otherwise.
