Scott City school upgrades hinge on voters

SCOTT CITY -- Voters in the Scott City School District will decide Nov. 4 whether $1.75 million should be issued to update school buildings and make them more secure.

If the bond passes, the district's tax rate will remain at 49 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Over the past few years, the district has refinanced bonds and lease certificates to achieve lower interest rates. Those refinancing actions have created savings for the district, as well as options for district facilities.

In this instance, about $1 million would be used for increased security through constructing and renovating school building entrances; cafeteria renovations; roof repairs; and other needed repairs or remodeling. Scott City's school buildings are interconnected, with the oldest part -- the elementary school end -- dating to the late 1950s.

A $750,000 portion of that $1.75 million would be used to pay off the district's 2011 B lease certificates. The lease is a financial mechanism used for making payments on the installation of the blue roof and kitchen renovations completed in 2007-2008.

The bond prepayment makes general operating funds available each year. From 2015-2016 to 2020-2021, the total funds available would equal $806,175, according to school district information.

A committee called Scott City Prop Kids, chaired by local businessman Ron Pratt, first met in April to look at what could be done with the money if the bond passed. Pratt, the committee chairman, was chosen to get the word out about the bond and encourage people to vote for it. After speaking to many officials at local organizations, Pratt said he has received positive feedback.

" ... I think it's going to do a lot of good for the school," Pratt said.

Superintendent Diann Ulmer said one of the items being considered is a receiving area, similar to a physician's office, where parents could drop off items their children may have forgotten to bring to school.

When people visit Scott City schools, they usually are buzzed in at the high school entrance. They sign in and are escorted where they need to go. Added security at the entrances is in response to school shootings across the country, Pratt said.

Big-ticket maintenance items the district needs include roof repairs over the elementary school, and floor and bathroom repairs, Pratt said.

Funds also could be used to update classroom lighting and electrical infrastructure to accommodate technology. "We've been slowly working on updating the facilities," Ulmer said.

In the past, the district has set aside money for updates, such as installing air conditioning in the high school gym and for new computers. The past few years, funds were set aside for the district's share of its theater/Federal Emergency Management Agency safe room now under construction.

Pratt said the Scott City Prop Kids committee has about 30 members, including key stakeholders such as the mayor and his wife, pastors from local churches, people from local banks and various civic organizations.

A Scott City native, Pratt said he is very involved in the community, having served on the police board and as a former park board member. He, his wife and his daughter graduated from Scott City schools and his son attends school in the district.

"We're hoping to have a better-than-normal turnout for an off-year election because of Amendment 3 [the proposed amendment to the state constitution that would tie teacher evaluations to student performance]. There are strong opponents to it and we're trying to differentiate between it and Prop Kids. We know the teachers will be out in force to vote against Amendment 3," and Pratt said he hopes they also will help pass Proposition Kids.

The decision to put the bond issue on November's ballot goes back a little more than a year, when officials from L.J Hart & Co. spoke before the school board.