How the maintenance and operational costs were to be addressed for a proposed student/community activity center was the question on several district patron's minds Sunday as U.S.D. 248 board members and administrators hosted the latest in a series of public information meetings on the proposed $24 million bond issue that will go before the voters next month.
Following the regular presentation outlining the specifics of the project proposals, Superintendent of Schools Gary Snawder opened the floor to questions from the dozen or so patrons who made the trek to the Helper Community Center. Tim “Opie” Viets asked if any Girard city money was going to be available to help with construction and ongoing maintenance and staffing costs for the combined community activity center.
The joint student/community center proposal features multi-purpose gymnasiums with an elevated walking track, as well as exercise and meeting facilities that would benefit both students and the community at large. Portions of the facility would be available for general public usage, including the meeting rooms, walking track and exercise facilities.
Snawder said that, while city funding for construction probably wasn't in the cards for the project, there had already been discussions of a partnership between city and school district regarding ongoing maintenance costs. There was also the possibility of personnel assistance through the local recreation department to staff the portions of the center that will be available for public use several hours of the day, Girard High School Principal Blaise Bauer said.
Fees for usage of the activity center have also been discussed, which would help further address operations and maintenance cost concerns. Snawder told the crowd the planning hasn't reached the point of saying how much those fees would be or how they would be assessed.
But Brian Harris, a special education resource teacher in the Iola School district who lives west of Hepler, said the questions surrounding the student/community activity center were also on his mind. Because of travel time, he didn't think the facility would provide the same benefit to patrons in the furthest reaches of the district, including the Hepler and Walnut areas, as it would to people living closer to Girard.
“Ultimately, it's the activity center that bothers me,” Harris said following the meeting. “Given the distance, it doesn't have the same value here (in Hepler) as it does to people who are closer.”
While he said he's still “up in the air” on how he'll vote in January, Harris acknowledged there were portions of the proposal he could see as necessary for the future of the district. And, the fact the State of Kansas will be chipping in 47-percent of the cost of the project under a  program that helps with construction funding for school districts based on the valuation of property compared on a state-wide basis is attractive, particularly if local builders are used for the project, he said.
“If we utilized local contractors, for example, that money would be going back into our local communities,” Harris said. “But, at the same time with the economy the way it is, we have to take a look at what we can afford right now. The question is, can we afford it, even if it is on sale?”
School board member Tony Stonerock said he realized there really wasn't a good time to ask for money. But he also challenged the patrons to consider, if the bond isn't approved and the project done now, the state assistance could be withdrawn as early as next year as the state budget grows tighter. If that happens, he said, the probability the school district could finance the project on its own would be slim.
“I can't help but think that, if we don't seize the moment and take advantage of that 47 percent (state funding), it might go away,” Stonerock said. “Then, the cost has immediately doubled for us and we might never be able to afford to do this.
“Businesses, banks, etc., they're all spokes on the wheel that drive our school district. “But the hub, the think that makes it go, is the school. This is a way to put a new spark plug in the engine that drives our community.”
Terry and Etta Smith, also of rural Hepler, agreed. They attended the meeting Sunday with their 7-year-old grandson Austin, who's a student at R.V. Haderlein Elementary. They did have questions on the overall project when they decided to attend the meeting, Etta Smith said, questions that were addressed by the board presentation.
Terry Smith, who works for the Kansas Department of Transportation, confirmed Stonerock's concerns about the tightening state budget. But, he said, the $24 million price tag for the proposed school bond project, and the subsequent increases in property taxes, don't worry him.
The costs “don't scare me a bit,” he said, pointing to Austin who stood by, playing a hand-held video game. “If that kid ain't worth that little bit more in taxes, we ought to just quit.”