EducationNewsPolitics & Government

School Board Goes with One-Question Petition for Charles City High School Bond Referendum

The Charles City School District will again pursue a one-question petition for a bond referendum to pay for upgrades and improvements to Charles City High School and add a new 800-seat performing arts auditorium.

A School District petition drive earlier this year to get a special election for a to pay for the projects with a $27 million bond referendum failed to get the issue on the ballot. During Monday night’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Anne Lundquist said construction costs have risen since.

School Board members again discussed whether to pursue one bond referendum to cover all of the facility needs or splitting the two projects into separate petition/bond referendums. A decision was needed if they hoped to get the measure or measures up for a special election in September.

On a 4-to-1 vote, the Board approved to proceed with securing petition signatures for a singular bond referendum to address both projects. Board member Dr. David Schrodt was the lone dissenting vote after stating he could not support the upgrades and improvements to the High School as currently recommended. However, he declined to elaborate on the issue.

With passage, the school district will now consult with attorneys to draft the petition language accordingly.

There has been no performing arts auditorium for students since access to the auditorium at the former middle school on North Grand Avenue was closed off for renovations to relocate TLC into the 1970s portion of the building and for developer Shawn Fautch to remodel the 1930s wing of the building into residential apartments.

The High School building itself hasn’t seen any major work done to it since it was built in 1960.

 

Mark Pitz

News Director/Weekdays 10am to 2pm on 95.9 KCHA
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