WINSIDE – Winside public schools has a few problems.
After about a decade of figuring out what the school needs to improve and expand, a Winside School Improvement task force is now posing a $14,670,000 question to the town – Is the school ready for some renovation?
The plan is to add a dedicated AG facility for an AG-focused community, create more classrooms, and consolidate facilities under a single roof.
In the process of drafting up what the school wanted, the team began to realize what the school needed.
“To the point where we have a lot of needs that need addressed, and we need to get them addressed,” said Winside Public Schools Superintendent Andrew Offman.
“The condition of the building – we have a structural issue that you can visually see as you walk.”
Aging plumbing and electrical systems, handicap code violations, and security issues are just a few of some of the more serious issues the team hopes to address.
“The community can see where this crack originates,” Offman said, pointing through the ceiling of a classroom at a crack that ran across the length of the room.
They proposal involves issuing school funds as well as using a bond measure to cover the cost. If passed, it will be a 7 cents per $100 of valuation for over 2 years, a projection Offner says may be reduced as time goes on.
In preparation for the vote, Offner has been showing concerned citizens, graduates, and other Winside residents around the school to give them a look at what’s going on.
“To educate them, and for them to make their educated vote,” Offner said, “whether it’s for, against, we wanted them to have the information so they can make their informed decision.”
And residents have until May 11th, 5PM, to make their decision known.
