District holds informational meetings about proposed GHS stadium upgrades
In April of 2011, district voters approved a $7 million school bond issue. One of the projects slated for completing was the replacement of the GMS heating/cooling pipe system, at an estimated cost of $2.4 million. As the first phase of that project began, engineers realized that the project was not going to be as extensive or expensive as first anticipated, resulting in $1 million available for other projects. These funds are designated for facility improvements and cannot be used for other needs like hiring, curriculum materials, or technology.
District administration has developed a proposal for the Board of Education’s consideration: utilize the $1 million to upgrade the GHS stadium facility – field turf, goals, goal posts, scoreboard and, possibly, bleacher upgrades. The budget will provide field preparation, maintenance equipment, and approximately two years of supplies. The goal of the plan is to create a multi-purpose facility that can be enjoyed and utilized by students, parents, staff and community members; allowing such things as increased outdoor classroom space, an outdoor practice field for the marching band and a state of the art field for football, soccer, and band competitions. If the initiative is approved by the Board, the intent is to have the upgrades completed by August 2012.
The Board of Education will be considering this proposal at the March meeting. Three community input meetings have been held to provide a forum for district patrons. These meetings have been fairly well attended and public comment has been, for the large part, supportive. GNEA representatives have attended the meetings to help share the discussion and answer questions that our members have.
The question most frequently asked by GNEA members has been “Why doesn’t the district use the $1 million to improve our other, aging, buildings?” The response is that the 2010 bond issue has funded an extensive list of projects for the district, most of which have not yet begun due to calendar and scheduling issues related to bids and opportunities for work to be done around classes. The complete draft list of scheduled projects on the drawing board is available at the GNEA website, grandview.mnea.org. Work on these projects will begin in the Spring and the bulk of the work is scheduled for completion prior to August 2012. A further response is that, yes, the Board could indeed choose to go “deeper” into the project list with the $1 million, but the Administration proposes this GHS stadium upgrade as a unique opportunity that can be done in addition to those already scheduled improvements.
An additional input meeting is scheduled for February 2 at Meadowmere. Staff and patrons are invited to attend to see the full presentation regarding upgrades. The visual presentation from the input meetings are available on the district website.
From Rebeka McIntosh, GNEA president:
I fully support the process that the Administration and Board of Education have followed to solicit community and staff input on this proposal. They have all been extremely transparent and helpful in answering my questions and concerns. I found the list of scheduled projects to be very useful as I tried to decide my opinion of the plan. I think this is a unique opportunity for the district and a good use of district resources. What do you think about the proposal and what are your questions? Please let me know your thoughts and concerns and we will find the answers and information you need. I encourage you to talk with your building principal, as well, if you have questions about planned projects for your worksite. Please leave your feedback at GrandviewNEA@gmail.com.