Committee recommends Ventura bond

$2.75 million bond would fund building improvements
The Ventura Board of Education has received a recommendation from the district long-range planning committee to pursue a $2.75 million bond to address facility issues in the district's secondary building.
According to Superintendent Dan Versteeg, the recommendation is the culmination of over a year's worth of research and discussion by the volunteer committee of district residents. The committee reviewed and studied enrollment projections, the district's current and projected budgets, the state of the current facilities and a feasibility study conducted by Skott and Anderson Architects of Mason City.
The recommendation for the sale of $2.75 million in bonds would support extensive renovation of the original three-story portion of the high school building to improve its aging electrical and mechanical systems and handicap accessibility, as well as new construction of a science classroom and science lab.
In addition to the bond sale, the committee made several other recommendations to the Board.
The School Board is being asked to commit $100,000 of one-cent sales tax (SILO) revenue to reduce the property tax burden of the bond. In addition, the Board must conduct a change of use election at the same time as the bond vote for one-cent sales tax dollars in the Ventura district. That action would bind future Boards to the commitment of $100,000 whenever there is a debt service levy.
The committee also recommends moving fifth and sixth grades from the high school to the elementary in the 2008-2009 school year. Versteeg said the elementary school has ample classroom space to accommodate the two grades.
No date has been set for a bond vote.
"It was the feeling of the committee that there is no rush to a vote. They feel it is important to take the time to make the voters understand the issue," said Versteeg, adding he expects a date for a vote could be set within a month. The district will hold an informational meeting Thursday for public review and comment about the committee's plan. (See details at end of story).
In March 2006, Ventura School District voters turned back a $6.64 million bond proposal which would have constructed a single story school building to house grades five-12. The building would have replaced the 80-plus year-old three story portion of the high school building. The measure was voted down, 60 to 40 percent.