The Say Yes to JCHS Campaign is not shying away in the face of adversity.
USD 475 Geary County School district officials have received notice that the Federal Heavy Impact Aid payments to the district that are needed to complete the proposed new high school project will be delayed.
Terra Stroda, Committee Co-Chair, said that they are standing by their commitment to Geary County students.
“We’re fully in support of what the District has set before us, and certainly pushing forward with the idea that we believe in the concept of a new high school on a new site,” said Stroda.
Heavy Impact Aid payments initially anticipated for this Spring, are now expected to arrive over the summer months.
Committee member Rena Neal said the federal money to the District is “a gift”.
“We wouldn’t even be able to do this project if we didn’t have that [heavy impact aid], and so with the news last week that it will be a delay of getting that money we know that we can still do this [new school] project with those funds coming in,” said Neal. “I think the School District has been good stewards of the community’s finances and the money and what we need to do is just trust the process and the officials that we have elected for our School Board and school administration.”
With a new school finance formula in the House that is projected to cut funding to Geary County schools by $5.5 million and the delayed Heavy Impact Aid payment, Stroda credits the District for the “fail safes” that have been put into place.
“We want to make sure that we do this the most financially responsible way and we have the staff, we have the great admin, we have a community that wants their children educated at the highest level – and so we need the school,” said Stroda.
Neal, who has a background in finance – as mentioned on JC Now on the Talk of JC Thursday morning – she said the potential funding cuts in the bill in the Kansas House are “operational based.”
“The School District has already put a plan in place and they foreshadowed that this may happen throughout this whole conversation…with that, you just have to find ways to cut the budget but provide the same services that the city and the community is accustomed to having,” said Neal.
A tentative date of August 1st has been set, upon approval from the Board of Education, for the Bond Election which was previously set for May 9th. Officials anticipate have all monies needed for the proposed new high school project in order before that date.
District officials have not yet commented on the House Bill. It has not been set the full House or Senate for a vote.