GENTRY — Bids were opened by the school board on April 19 to replace and improve lighting in the high school gymnasium and to install lighting in the student parking lot outside the gym.
One bid was received for each job and both were accepted by the board.
A bid from A.P.E. & C. was received to install four light poles with quad lighting in the parking lot. The bid price was $39,988.
A bid for $20,246.32 was received from Coones Electric to replace and add additional lighting fixtures in the high school gymnasium. The plan includes 42 fixtures rather than the existing 30 and will also change the configuration to improve the overall brightness in the gym.
Because money from existing taxes is not enough to carry out other major repairs or building projects for the school district, Gentry superintendent Dr.Randy Barrett, at the board’s suggestion, has prepared a survey to learn the wishes of those in the school district to help the board determine whether to request a millage increase for the specific purpose offacility maintenance and improvements.
“At the April 2010 school board meeting, I recommended to the board that the district should investigate the feasibility of seeking to participate in a bond program, part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, which would allow bonds to be sold at a minimal interest rate,” Barrett wrote in introducing the survey which is both online at the school’s Web site and in the newspaper. “I also explained to the board at that time that I did not believe that our existing millage rate would support such a sale without jeopardizing the revenue needed for other operational purposes and the maintenance of our academic facilities. My recommendation was to ask our citi-zens to raise their tax levy by 1.1 mills, which would enable the district to sell a $1,500,000 bond. I explained that the increased individual cost to a taxpayer, whose real and personal property assessed valuation was $100,000, would be about $22 per year.”
The bond, Barrett explained, would be interest free for the school district because of the federal government’s stimulus package. He said the board would have to make a decision soon - probably by the May meeting - if it was going to participate in the federal government’s program.
“I can’t support going back to the voters for more taxes,” said board member Ted Dorn. “Taxes here are already much higher than in most other parts of the state.But that’s just me,” he said.
“With Siloam Springs and Gravette having nice facilities, are we going to lose more students because of that?” asked board member Brenda Willett.
“Can we run some type of survey to see what percentage of voters would vote yes?” asked board member Coye Cripps.
Jim Barnes suggested Barrett poll the community using the newspaper and the district’s survey monkey.
Barrett also wrote: “The school board, recognizing that recent economic times have been difficult for our citizens, as well as for the school district, directed me to survey our community to determine the community’s interest in maintaining and improving our athletic facilities through a 1.1 mill increase.”
Other repairs and projects listed for possible consideration on the school district’s 10-year master facilities plan include the following: Replace roof of main high school building; Replace HVAC at main building of intermediate school; Replace roof of main building of middle school; Addition of auditorium parking lot lighting; Repair or replace visitor bleachers at football stadium; Repair or resurface athletic track; Repair or replace high school gym pull-out bleachers; Build restrooms for baseball and softball fields; Replace HVAC for field house and pressbox; Replace HVAC systems for main building of high school; Renovate old agriculture building to classrooms; Replace roof of new agriculture building; Construction of mixed-use athletic and physical education facility;Replace HVAC at middlehigh school cafeteria building; Replace HVAC in new agriculture building; Replace HVAC at transportation building; Construction of a new Gentry High School; Replace chiller-boiler of high school auditorium; Replace HVAC at central office; Replace HVAC at the old primary school classrooms; Replace HVAC at intermediate multi-purpose building; Replace HVAC at head start; Renovate old primary school classrooms at intermediate school; Replace roof of central office; Construction of classroom addition to middle school; Construction of intermediate addition to existing primary school; Construction of a physical education gymnasium for the primary school.
News, Pages 1 on 04/28/2010