KRJ Provides Update On Projects For Possible Bond Issue

With the Crawford County R-1 School Board having the option of floating a bond issue worth more than $2 million next April, members received an update on potential projects from KRJ Achitecture on October 17.

KRJ has worked with the Bourbon school district since 2004. Romy Uelk and David Kromm discussed with board members how the process would work on developing plans and having them ready for voters.

Back in 2004, KRJ developed a long-range set of plans that go through 2029. 

Some of the projects have been tackled since then. The district floated bond issues in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

There are several other projects to be addressed and Kromm told the board to leave open the possibility of expansion in the future.

Some of the potential projects listed in the past include:

-Building a new agriculture building;

-Renovating the current shop building to become a new weight room and athletic storage;

-Adding an office, conference room and storage area at the central office;

-New roofing at the elementary and high school cafeterias;

-Resealing the gymnasiums;

-Electrical, plumbing and flooring upgrades to the seventh and eighth grade area of the middle school;

-Double-gated security at the elementary; and

-Adding a classroom at the high school.

The security at the elementary school may be one of the more pressing issues. The district was able to improve the entrance at the high school in the 2014 bond issue. 

Uelk told the board the process of developing plans is extensive, beginning with alternative plans, critiques, more planning, repeating and gaining consensus to move forward.

The board has until January to place a bond issue on the April ballot.

Board members were told in August by Joe Kinder of George K. Baum & Company that its bonding capacity could be around $2.3 million.

Bourbon’s total capacity, according to Kinder, is around $5.5 million, but that has to be supported by the debt service levy that is being held at 93.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

The district is still paying on past bonds and debt service levy is voluntarily held at 93.5 cents as part of a promise to voters.

While the district could hold off until 2021 and float around $3 million or wait even longer — until 2026 when the 2006 bond issue is retired — and have around $6 million to $7 million.

However, putting off the bond issues can cause existing problems to worsen.