VISIONING FOR THE FUTURE OF OPSAmy Shane, Superintendent

The Beginning

During the summer of 2006 the O’Neill School Board directed me to do an informal facility study with the assistance of community members.

Beginning in the fall of that year a core group of community members gathered together, toured our current facilities, discussed pros and cons of both sites, and made a list of possible improvements.

Core Group MembersScott Poese Dustin Breiner

Tony Bosn Paula Becker

Meredith Krysl Gary Cuddy

Pat Bakerink Merri Schneider

Jim Wakefield Mike Marvin

What the Core Group FoundA number of programs have been added to the high school program since 1965. Most are required by the state or federal government, they include:

Title I

Special Education (expansion)

ELL (English Language Learners)

Distance Learning

Technology

Foreign Language (expansion)

High Ability Learners Program

Alternative Ed

What the Core Group Found cont.

• The modular classrooms that were moved onto the high school campus in 1989 as a temporary measure are still there. The safety and appearance of the modular classrooms was a concern to the group.

Core Group’s Report to the Board The Core Group shared their insights with the school board and suggested contracting with a professional to do a more formal facility study and facilitate any planning that needed to be done.

The school board interviewed two architectural firms, and chose BVH Architects out of Lincoln to facilitate the study.

BVH and the Facility AuditBVH conducted their facility audit and reported the results to the board. They looked at life safety code issues, mechanical/electrical system evaluation, ADA issues, curriculum delivery issues, and reported to the board at their July 2007 meeting.

They found issues in each of these areas but the major concerns revolved around life safety code issues and curriculum delivery issues.

Expanded Community Facility CommitteeAll members of the community were invited to serve on an expanded facility committee.

Between 50-60 community members attended one or more of the six meetings that occurred over the next four months.

They reviewed the results of the facility audit, toured the schools, reviewed district demographics and program information, and identified district needs.

The Expanded Community Committee

• The group spent a great deal of time on the needs of the High School. They considered a number of solution options that would meet the needs of the district and position the district for future success.

Solution Options Considered

• A new 9-12 High School and a remodel of the current facility for a 6-8 middle school.

• Proposed cost: $19.9 million

A new 7-12 Jr. Sr. High School.

Proposed cost: $18.5 million

Remodel the current building to include the “Big Rock” priorities the group identified.

Proposed cost: $12.8 million

The “Big Rocks”Addition of 6 classrooms and relocating the band room.

Addition of a larger gymnasium that would allow all Junior - Senior high practices to occur on site, and be big enough to host conference and district tournament games.

Addition of a lecture hall/auditorium for school and community use.

Expanded administrative space.

An elevated walking track for public use.

Need For New Classrooms

• We currently have 6 classes/programs housed in the modular classrooms that were placed on the campus as a temporary measure in 1989.

• Students must move in and out of the building to get to these classes. This compromises their safety in the event of an intruder or severe weather.

Need for a Larger Gymnasium

• Our current gym was built to accommodate Boy’s High School sports. Since that time we have added girls sports and Junior High sports. Childhood obesity and inactivity has also become an issue in recent years so we have added a mandatory P.E. class for all Junior High students during 7th period. Because of these changes, students walk to and from the 38 Building and the Elementary gym for practices. This is a very really safety concern.

Need for a Larger Gymnasium cont.

• Our current gymnasium is in bad shape. It is in need of a new floor, improved lighting, and new bleachers. If we add a new gymnasium we can forgo the floor and lighting, although the bleachers will still need to be replaced for safety reasons.

Need for a Lecture Hall/Auditorium

• A lecture hall/auditorium would be used as an additional classroom, a testing site, a place for all school assemblies, and a practice and performance facility for students participating in arts and music.

• A lecture hall/auditorium could also be used by the community to host any of a number of local performances, such as Irish Dance Reviews, community concerts and plays.

Need for Expanded Administrative Space

• The current office area is far to small to conduct the business of the school in a private and organized manner.

• The new office and front entrance would have a secure entrance where visitors would have to check in at the office before entering the school itself. This will make the school a safer more secure place.

The “Big Rocks” cont.

• The expanded community group was also asked to suggest a “price tag” that they thought was realistic. The group came up with a figure of between $8 and $9 million.

Special Board Meeting

• The O’Neill School Board held a special meeting to address questions and take comment on the proposed project. This meeting took place on April 29th. Over 100 community members attended and were asked to complete a “Big Rock” survey. Those who completed the survey indicated the same priorities as the smaller group, and suggested a bond figure of 8.9 million dollars.

How Did We Get Down to 8.325 million?

• The Building and Grounds committee met with the architect and the engineer. They removed the costly HVAC system, which could legally be paid for with general fund money. They also took the elevated walking track out of the project and made slight modifications to the gymnasium and lecture hall/auditorium.

Tax Impact from an $8.325 million Bond

Over a 20 year bond period the impact on your taxes would be:

Property Valuation Levy Annually MonthlyDaily$ 25,000 0.1305 $ 32.62 $2.72$0.09$ 50,000 0.1305 $ 65.24 $5.44$0.18$ 75,000 0.1305 $ 97.85 $8.15$0.27$ 100,000 0.1305 $130.47 $10.87$0.36

Efforts to Reduce the Tax Impact of the Bond

• Our General Fund levy has been at $0.95 for each of the past 5 years. The board will consider dipping below the $0.95 limit for the 2008-09 school budget year.

• Our Building Fund levy was about $0.02 last year. The board will consider dropping that levy to $0.01 for the 2008-09 school budget year.

Homestead Exemption

• An individual who meets the following criteria may qualify for a homestead exemption:

Be 65 years of age before January 1st of the application year;

Own and occupy the homestead January 1 through August 15; and

Meet household income guidelines set out in Table I or Table II of the information packet.

Why is this important to our Community?The schools are an important factor that families and businesses consider before re-locating. Having up to date facilities is a must for the community to grow.

Providing facilities that will draw events to the community is good for all of the businesses in O’Neill.

All community groups could use the improved facilities for events that they sponsor.

How Will This Election Be Conducted?

• This will be an “All Mail” election. There will be no voting at the polls.

• Ballots will be sent to all registered voters on Wednesday, August 27th.

• Voters have until 5:00 on Tuesday, September 9th to return their ballots to the Holt County Clerk/Election Commissioner. Ballots can be mailed back or walked into the clerk’s office.