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Process began four years ago
Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a three-week series on the Randolph Public Schools’ bond issue. *** Trisha Benton Randolph Times RANDOLPH – Facility improvement needs at Randolph Public Schools didn’t pop up overnight.
The need for a new Career Technical Education building - currently the high school ag building - has been an ongoing discussion for more than four years.
The Randolph school board designated money annually in a special building fund intended for construction. Architectural renderings were drawn. The bid-letting process was followed. The result? Sticker shock.
The COVID-19 pandemic and skyrocketing building costs forced the board to put its building plan on hold.
In the meantime, the Nebraska Legislature put some limits in place on the amount boards could levy into special building funds. Property taxes alone cannot raise the amount of money needed due to a legislature-induced cap of 3 percent to the district’s budget growth.
A facility audit in Fall 2023 pinpointed some urgent upgrades needed at both the elementary and high school facilities.
Ignoring these issues could possibly make matters worse and more expensive, the board decided.
The first step was forming a steering committee made up of more than 20 interested community members to study the issue. The committee spent several months mulling the project including different financing options.
“We didn’t just say, we need a new building,” said board member Lucas Miller. “We brought a lot of people in and tried to come up with a plan that makes sense long term.”
The committee started with a master list of more than 40 identified priority projects. Compromises and additional discussion helped whittle an overall potential project to $9.75 million that would include a new CTE/ag building, improvements to sustain the elementary building, and upgrades and repairs to the high school.
Individual projects within the proposed bond improvements were also scaled back to come up with an overall bond amount the committee felt the community could support.
In total, nearly $4.9 million is planned for upgrades at the elementary; $4.2 million for a new CTE/ag building; and almost $650,000 for updates to the high school building. Other funding options were discussed but the school board ultimately decided a bond issue would be most suitable to fund the proposed improvements.
Since that decision, community members and the district have been busy trying to educate voters with several town hall meetings and tours.
Superintendent Daryl Schrunk said he’s happy to meet with patrons over the next several weeks until Election Day.
“It doesn’t have to be a large group. It can be small and informal. Sometimes people are a little more comfortable that way,” he said. “So talk to your friends and neighbors, have them call up here. And if it ever rains one of these days, just show up here to school.”
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Coming next week: Learn what’s included in the $9.75 million bond issue and how it will impact current and future students.
