The concept of building a new Junction City high school without an increase in the property tax levy will have to be explained to the public. That’s a key point emerging from a JCHS Steering Committee,  which is studying the possibility of a new school.

Committee member Justin Hoover favors construction without an increase in the property tax levy. “The people that I talk to around town, they don’t really want their mill levy to rise again. And I think you can do it, and I think you can build a great school and not raise the mill levy.”

The option reviewed for the steering committee by architects Thursday evening included a possible $105 million high school for ninth through 12th grade students at a new location. It could include 38 general classrooms, a 900 seat auditorium, six computer labs, 14 science labs, two gyms, six locker rooms, an athletic complex, and two storm shelters in the building. That would not include a property tax increase.

At this point no final decisions have been made, however. Other options have been mentioned, some with a small property tax increase. A preliminary poll of committee members earlier in December showed that 97% favored a new school and 90% favored it at a new site.  A large majority of 57% supported a new school with no tax increase and 43% favored a school with up to a two mill increase.

After the discussion during the meeting Thursday evening, committee member Mark Edwards said he thought they were gaining a great understanding of how a new high school could be done without any mill increase. “And I think that’s so important that the public understand that there’s no mill levy contemplated as far as an increase to build this new school.”

The committee will meet again January 12th where they will hear a presentation that will be made at town hall meetings on January 17th and 28th. The committee is expected to make a recommendation to the USD 475 Board of Education in February. The Board would have to make a decision on the recommendation, and whether or not to pursue a bond issue election where public approval would be necessary for the district to receive the necessary state aid for any new school project.