Decisions ahead for school voters
About 40,000 voters have the power to decide the fate of two 20-year bond issues totaling more than $54 million for Kalispell Public Schools.
Ballots will be mailed out Sept. 19 and must be received by the district office by 8 p.m. Oct. 4. Voters are encouraged to mail their ballots by Oct. 1 to be received by the due date.
Kalispell residents living in the elementary district will vote on a $25,281,120 million bond issue to pay for a new elementary school on Airport Road in addition to renovating the district’s five existing elementary schools.
If the elementary bond is approved, owners of a home with an assessed value of $200,000 could anticipate taxes increasing by $116.81 annually.
The high school bond would impact Flathead and Glacier high schools, Linderman Education Center, H.E. Robinson Agricultural Education Center, Legends Stadium and potentially parking at Flathead.
Taxpayers living in the high school district will decide a $28,765,725 million bond issue. These taxpayers include Kalispell residents and residents of outlying rural school districts whose students attend Glacier and Flathead high schools. If the $28,765,725 high school plan is approved, owners of a home with an assessed value of $200,000 could anticipate property taxes to increase by $58.46 annually.
Both proposals include remodeling and completing deferred maintenance while upgrading facilities to 21st century learning (multipurpose rooms outside the classroom designed for uses such as small group instruction, studying, collaborating, meeting and gathering) and improving safety and security.
The project proposals are the result of more than a year of long-term facility planning by a committee tasked with devising building projects that would accommodate the district to the year 2030 before overcrowding again becomes an issue and resolve deferred maintenance.
In June the Kalispell board of trustees supported most of the committee’s plans, but decided to remove a proposal for a second new elementary school. Before coming to the board with a recommendation, the committee also removed a proposed new middle school.
What is being proposed to voters is the minimum of what is absolutely needed to address overcrowding, according to Superintendent Mark Flatau.
A new elementary school would be built to accommodate 450 students. The district has reported that once a new elementary is built it will be almost half full with students from schools that currently are overcrowded. A new elementary school may take the district to 2021 before schools reach capacity, if enrollment grows by 2 percent annually.
The bulk of the proposed high school spending, $19 million, is slated for Flathead: replacing the small gym, demolishing the half floors and a lecture hall and replacing them with two stories of classrooms. The proposed remodel could increase the school’s capacity by 150 students.
If the high school bond request passes, the welding program would find a permanent home with a new shop at H.E. Robinson Agricultural Education Center and the veterinary science program would be expanded. The center also would benefit from a new science lab, offices, info-commons and a greenhouse.
Linderman is slated for renovations that will use existing space in a better way for the modern student by creating a new commons area and refurbishing the gym.
Glacier would receive funding for deferred maintenance only.
Rebuilding the main field at Legends Stadium and addressing drainage issues are also part of the proposal, along with bleacher improvements and upgrades to the officials building.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.