North Nodaway Superintendent Chris Turpin explained the $2.65 million bond issue on the ballot in greater detail at the North Nodaway PTO meeting Tuesday night, March 8th. The measure is not a tax increase, but a continuation of the current debt service levy of 59 cents. Passage would extend it out to around 2042, although the school plans to pay it off earlier if possible. If the measure fails, the levy will be phased out starting the next school year and go away completely by the 2023-2024 school year. The debt service levy cannot be used except for projects that are within the scope of the issue, or for paying off debt. Passage requires a four sevenths majority.
Voters within the North Nodaway school district will vote on the issue on April 5th. The measure is known as Proposition PFK.
If passed, the $2.65 million bond issue will be used for the following projects, in order of priority:
–New addition to the elementary school, which will include a new preschool classroom, a new safety entrance, and a new library. The current library will be turned into a cafeteria, freeing up gym space for PE classes or recess. Meals can be prepared in Pickering rather than being transported, saving fuel costs. Existing office spaces will be used for Title Reading services and the administration. All buildings will be connected with one secure entrance.
–New bus barn in Hopkins, on the new lot that has been acquired by the school. It will include a metal building to house seven buses, that includes a washing bay and tire changer. It would keep buses and staff or students safe from the elements, and allow for more maintenance and cleaning of the buses, saving trips to Clearmont or St. Joseph. Turpin said it would include fewer freezeups for the buses and workers could perform basic oil and tire changes there.
–Security entrance to the high school. A new addition would be built on the south side of the high school where the current main entrance is located. It would include a new security entrance and free up more office space for the principal, secretaries, counselor, and superintendent.
Priorities were selected by a facilities committee that toured the district facilities in the fall of 2020, consisting of parents, community members, staff, board members, and administration.
Currently, the school gets an estimated $665,000 per year in wind farm money; however, Turpin said that money was not guaranteed. The school has been using the wind turbine money for smaller projects. Before the wind farm money came, Turpin said the school had been deficit spending.
They have already spent money on the following:
–Deferred maintenance. Funds have been used to address facility repairs and items that have been put off due to a lack of funding, such as air conditioning in the gym, carpeting and flooring, water drainage issues, and ceiling repairs on the old gym at the high school. Turpin said that they had to do things like get water away from the high school foundation; it had been getting into the basement during heavy rainstorms.
–Increased salaries. Previously, salaries for non-certified staff were frequently below minimum wage. This year, teacher salaries will be addressed.
–Academic program costs. The school has begun offering more courses in drones, robotics, and increased participation in vocational trades. Purchasing new textbooks is a priority this year. Previously, the school had limited the number of students who could sign up for vo-tech. It costs the school $2,000 a student to send a kid to vo-tech.
–Updated technology needs. The school has upgraded its computer hardware and software and is now one to one for students and teachers having computers.
–Increased school reserves. The school has put a portion of the wind turbine funds for reserves to help with unforeseen expenditures or shortfalls in federal or state funding.
Currently, Governor Mike Parson is pushing a plan which would involve raising the minimum teacher salary in the state to $38,000 a year. Missouri has one of the lowest minimum salaries for teachers in the nation. However, Turpin said that if that passes, it would mean an increased annual cost for the school of $199,000, which is one third of the wind turbine money.
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