District seeking $1M bond for school improvements

The roof outside of the high school gymnasium currently has no way to drain water, which has resulted in grass growing on the surface. Photo provided

The bond is expected to increase the debt service property tax 27 cents per $100 assessed. The adjusted debt service levy would increase from 49 cents to 76 cents for every $100 of assessed value of real estate and personal properties.

The increase will be based upon current interest rates in the municipal bond market, conservative projections in the future growth of assessed valuation, and a 20-year repayment period.

According to Superintendent Jeff Bullock, funding has become a challenge to school districts across the state of Missouri. Because of the lack of funding, many capital projects and maintenance issues have been postponed.

The Holcomb R-III District has reached the point where safety poses a major concern and issues must be addressed.

The school auditorium is pulling away from the main building and must have structural steel added, which will be tied in to the existing beams to avoid a possibly unsafe future situation, according to Bullock.

Roof issues are also a concern, as several areas of the roofs have leaks.

"In order to keep the water out of the buildings, roofing projects must be addressed in order to protect the safety of our students and staff," Bullock said. "Many roofs were replaced years ago, and now it is time to replace the roofs outside the gymnasium, cafeteria, and the Elementary School Building."

Bullock said if the bond passes, the heating and air conditioning units in the first and second-grade building will be replaced.

"These new units will be high efficiency and introduce outside air into the classrooms," Bullock said.

New inside, outside, and restroom doors and stalls will also be installed, as well as several other upgrades.

"Making our buildings safe and secure for our students is the goal of the Holcomb School District," Bullock said. "The buildings in our district are older buildings that require upkeep and renovations. This district's goal is to maintain the buildings we have to avoid potential hazards in the future."

Bullock said the district has broken down the repairs and upgrades into three priorities.

The first priority would be high school auditorium repair, brick replacement, and painting; high school gymnasium brick replacement, painting, roof removal and replacement including new flashing and detail solution; four classroom brick repair, elementary building roof removal, skylight demolition, and replacement; and cafeteria roof removal and replacement.

The second priority will be to complete heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) demolition in the first and second-grade buildings and replacement; complete restroom renovation; and new interior and exterior doors.

The third priority will be gymnasium lighting demolition and replacement in both the elementary and high school buildings and broken window replacement in all buildings.

The Holcomb District will hold a town meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, to answer questions citizens may have.

The bond will be on the ballot on Tuesday, April 7.