CCR-1 District Seeks Bond Issue

Clark Co. R-1 School District To Seek “No Tax Increase” Bond Issue In April Election

The Clark County R-1 School District will be seeking a bond issue for facility improvements at the April election.  This bond will not cost tax payers any additional money each year.  It will extend the debt service levy that the District currently has on the high school and new addition to the middle school.  We are still waiting for final figures but it is estimated the District will have between two million and three million dollars available through the extension of our current debt service levy.
Last week the school interviewed three architecture and engineering firms.  The District hired Klingner and Associates out of Quincy, Illinois.  Klingner engineers worked with the District in 2006 for the light and electrical project at Black Hawk Elementary and Running Fox Elementary.  Klingner architects and engineers will visit all our facilities and generate a list of areas the District needs to address to keep our buildings functional and safe for the next 30-50 years.  They will be looking at roofs, wall structures, HVAC systems, building safety, energy efficiency, parking lots, traffic flow at Black Hawk, electrical, lighting, plumbing, educational functionality, etc….   
Klingner will have a report to the District by mid to late November.  Once that report is complete the District will set up meetings for parents and patrons in each school building.  The parents and patrons will have an opportunity to tour the facility.  After the tour a meeting will be held to allow parents and patrons to give input as to what improvements should be made.  The architects and engineers will be at those meetings to share their findings.  After the building meetings are completed, a District committee will be formed. That group will then conduct meetings to put all the building plans together and establish a list of what projects should be included in the bond.  The committee will consist of parents, patrons, and staff.
The District will be including parents and patrons in the whole project.  There is no greater responsibility a community has than the education and safety of its children.  We must all work together to ensure the safest and the best educational environment we can.  The meeting dates and times will be published in the local papers.  Notes will be sent home with students and the parent calling system will be utilized to notify parents about the building meetings.  The District wants the involvement and ideas of the community as we undertake this major project to provide the best educational opportunities for the children of Clark County R-1 Schools.