Property owners in the Florence-Carlton School District will get a chance to vote thumbs up or thumbs down on a school bond this November 6, designed to finance a $15,975,000 expansion and renovation project.
The current district buildings cover a span of years stretching from 1959 to 2014, including two temporary classroom buildings. According to Superintendent Edward “Bud” Scully, student and staff safety is one of the most serious concerns being addressed in the project.
One of the most serious safety issues is the current location and use of the temporary classrooms. The classrooms, purchased as a temporary solution at the time, are now 46 and 33 years old, respectively.
Traveling outside, he said, to the detached, temporary structures multiple times a day is not safe. It isolates students and staff from the rest of the campus, making it difficult to provide adequate real-time supervision.
Currently, physical education classes and the district’s food service program must share the same physical space. This arrangement dictates core class schedules and requires PE classes to work around delivery of student breakfast and lunch times.
Some benefits of the project, according to district officials, include more effective student supervision, a decrease in operation and maintenance costs for the old temporary buildings, and the elimination of associated deferred maintenance costs. It will bring ventilation air up to meet building code requirements providing for a healthier environment and the upgraded electrical system will allow for the continued expansion of computer-related technologies.
The project includes: new K-5 classrooms, a dedicated dining and assembly space that can also provide an additional multi-purpose space, new band and choir spaces, modern code compliant locker rooms, and a health enhancement classroom space. It includes a new kitchen, high school commons, new Career Technology Classroom space, along with new district maintenance shops.
According to material provided by the school district, the Florence median home value is $335,000. The estimated annual tax increase for a home with a taxable assessed value of $300,000 is $541.31 or a monthly cost of $45.11, according to the chart prepared by DA Davidson.