The outline for the presentation on a possible new or renovated Junction City High School was presented to the JCHS Steering Committee Thursday evening. That presentation will go before town hall audiences at the senior high on January 17th and January 28th.

It will include information on the options for renovating the current facility to building a new facility at the existing 31-acre site or at a new 100-120 acre location on the west side of the city. Information on challenges in the current building such as problems with the plumbing system or crumbling brick walls to the cost of renovating or building new will be outlined to the public. Members of the public will be able to pose questions and get those answered by district officials, steering committee members and architects.

The goal for a new facility, if one is built, is to pay for it without increasing the local property tax levy. Federal heavily impacted military aid and state aid would be used along with interest earned on the heavily impacted military aid that is invested. In response to concern about whether the state aid might not total as much as expected the superintendent of schools Dr. Corbin Witt noted the state has never in history defaulted on a bond and interest payment because it is a demand transfer payment. The Legislature does not get to vote on it. Similar comments were made by the Deputy Commissioner of Education in Kansas, Dale Dennis, during a Junction City visit last week.

One member of the JCHS Steering Committee, Robert Munson, noted Geary USD 475 is one of the unique school districts in the nation. Because of 57% military student enrollment the district has received funding for several years ( heavily impacted military aid ). Is very significant and makes this a very viable project, in that it will provide a large amount of the funding for the project. ”

Fellow committee member Buzz Bruzina explained the town hall ( forums ) are intended to let people know all the options before the steering committee makes a recommendation to the school board ( in February ).  “Convincing the community of no mill levy increases and the best chance this can be of accomplishing a new school is key and most important to this community.” When asked for his opinion on whether this project could be done with no tax levy increase Bruzina responded, “Absolutely!”