The Geary USD 475 Board of Education will be asked to delay the bond issue election for a proposed new Junction City High School until August 1. The election had been scheduled for May 9th.

The federal heavy impact aid payment due to be received by USD 475 this month to help pay for the high school project is now not expected to arrive until summer, meaning it’s necessary to reschedule the bond issue election. Approval of a bond issue by local voters is necessary so the school district can also obtain state aid to be used with the federal impact aid money to pay for the new school project.

Superintendent Dr. Corbin Witt will make the recommendation on the election to the school board at their April meeting.

The federal government is currently operating under a continuing resolution, and final action has not been taken on a budget. Witt just returned from a trip to Washington D.C. “The officials do not feel that the federal government is probably going to deal with the budget until that runs out, which is not until April.” So what they’ve told us is that we will not get our heavy impact aid payment in March, that it will most likely come this summer.”

August 1st is also the date for primary elections in the city commission, city council and school board races in Kansas.

The plan for funding the proposed new high school project calls for use of a combination of state and federal aid. The state aid has been recommended for approval by the Kansas State Board of Education, but in order for the district to obtain that funding local voters would have to approve a bond issue in an election.  There would be no increase in the local property tax levy to help pay for the new high school.

 

The fundraising total for the Blue & gold market at Saint Xavier School last weekend totaled $3,320.90. That number was released by school Principal Shawn Augustine.

The funds raised will support school operations and programs.

 

 

JUNCTION CITY, KAN.–On March 14, 2017, Geary County Schools received confirmation that the Kansas State Board of Education has approved the support of the JCHS Way Forward bond initiative. This approval commits the State of Kansas to funding 48% of the total bond amount pending community approval through a vote on May 9, 2017.

In order to leverage these state funds, the community must first pass a bond election. Without the passing of a bond election, the project will forfeit these state funds.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Corbin Witt said last week prior to leaving for Washington D.C. for a National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) conference that “… to move forward with a new high school we need three things to happen. First, gain approval for state funds, [which has occurred]. Next, we need to receive the Heavy Impact Aid payment. Lastly, the community will need to pass the bond election on May 9th.”

In order to participate in this community decision, it is important to register to vote for the upcoming election. The last day to register for this vote is April 18, 2017.

For additional resources on the JCHS Way Forward, visit www.usd475.org.

The annual Business Expo sponsored by the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce will be held Tuesday, August 29th in Heritage Park.

The Chamber announced the date in their Chamber Chat newsletter.

This will be the second year for the Business Expo.

The Board of Trustees for the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library has voted to engage the firm of Paul J. Strawhecker, Inc. to conduct a feasibility study for raising funds to be used for the renovation and expansion of the library building.

The Nebraska-based firm was established in 1995 and specializes in comprehensive financial consulting services for nonprofit organizations. Numbered among their previous clients are several library foundations.

In 2016 the Library also worked with BBN Architects, Manhattan, to create a concept for the building expansion. This is the same firm that has done all of the Manhattan Public Library’s recent building projects. The resulting plan calls for the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library building to be enlarged at its existing location from the current 14,000 square feet to 26,000, the cost for which is estimated in the $5 – $6 million range.

The current plan is only 6,000 square feet of space more than a 20,000 square foot plan that was proposed by an earlier board in the late 1970’s. That proposal was defeated in a 1980 bond election.

Work on the feasibility study is slated to begin in April and should be complete within eight to twelve weeks. The cost will be $14,000 plus expenses not to exceed $1,500.