The Thursday morning Military Affairs Council Monthly Breakfast will feature more discussion on a proposed new high school project.

Dr. Beth Hudson, Associate Superintendent of Schools USD 475, Dr. Bill Clark, Director of Business Operations for USD 475 and Melissa Sharp, JCHS Principal are all expected to speak at the breakfast and discuss the educational, infrastructure, and technological challenges (to name a few) with the current high school building.

The breakfast will be at the Geary County Convention Center Thursday, October 27th at 7:30 am.

For more information, click here.

Shadow-mentoring is a new method that local leaders are exploring to mentor young adults in the community.

City Commissioner Jim Sands said it can be challenging connecting with youth when you are far removed from high school, so the shadow mentoring would be beneficial.

“[Let’s say] you could approach them from [the perspective] that you’re recently graduated – me, I can give them more wisdom, and then we take that and mentor that young person and they go to the middle school and now the middle schooler is going to look at the high school person, and they’ll look at [you] the recent graduate, and they’ll look at me,” said Sands.

Sands said this “four-pronged” type of mentoring program is most effective.

Sands, alongside Boys and Girls Club Director James Russell are working with community leaders to try to create positive atmospheres and outlets for the younger residents of Junction City.

Sands said there is no target demographic because any child could potentially be at risk.

“If [a student] got a D or F or did bad on a test, it probably depressed you a little bit, and based on what kind of character you have – can you handle that type of depression; for some kids it drives them right off the edge, so we want to make sure we provide them with an outlet,” said Sands.

Sands said they are currently working toward hosting dances,picnics and other related activities.

The Steering Committee selected to decide on a new Junction City High School have a tough job laid out for them – not so much the decision, but more-so gaining the community’s trust and support.

Hugh Davis, Executive Director of Communications for USD 475, said that the steering committee will tour the current high school facilities tomorrow to see the challenges that students are staff are facing.

“Something that I’ve been trying to explain during this feasibility study period is the viability of building a new high school and how that would be funded, and that’s going to be the steering committee’s decision based on the research and information they receive through these meetings,” said Davis.

The common misconception, according to Davis is that a new high school will automatically equate to a mil levy increase.

“Other districts in Kansas are doing the same thing we’re doing right now…there’s only a finite amount of money, and whether we use that money or some other district does – it will go somewhere; we just feel like this is a time where if we can get the state to contribute 48% of the cost with no mil levy increase, then that is a win-win for us,” said Davis.

Davis said that “without a bond the state does not contribute 48% of the cost” so a bond will be necessary even if there is no mil levy increase associated with it. The state wants to know that the school district community supports the venture before they will approve it; this could be simply a vote yes or no.

Davis said that this issue is time-sensitive.

“If we don’t get our bond approved or decide what we want to do this year or before other cities decide to do their bond, we could lose out on what the state could be willing to contribute – it’s a first come, first serve…so we’re competing with other districts basically; with the future of state funding  as we know, we may not be in this same scenario next school year,” said Davis.

With the monies already available to the District, Davis said that a 48% match from the State would afford USD 475 the $85 million toward a new high school project.

The following statement was released by Hugh Davis, Executive Director of Communications USD 475:

“The State will currently fund up to 48% of capital improvements through capital bond initiatives this year. If we do not call for a bond election, the State does not have to provide their 48% match. So in order to achieve our desired amount to build a school, a bond initiative is necessary even if our intent is to not increase the mil levy and just get the match.

The purpose of the steering committee is to come up with a recommendation and way forward for the high school.

Why now?

There is a cap on the amount of funding the State will pay toward bond issues this year, so we are currently competing with other districts for the same amount of dollars. It really comes down to a first come, first serve basis when it comes to bond issues.”

The Thursday Steering Committee agenda includes a Building Tour, Q&A session, and Concept Review to highlight programs, concepts, and budgets.

 

The ribbon cutting ceremony for Operation Santa Claus has been scheduled Wednesday, November 2nd at 10 a.m.

The program is sponsored by AUSA ( Central Kansas – Fort Riley ).  Santa’s Workshop is at 261 Stuart Avenue at Fort Riley.

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has confirmed three new board members.

They include L. J. Baker who is a retired member of the military, Brad Johnson of Exchange Bank, and Rich Jankovich of the Sunflower Bank.

Chamber CEO Dennis Beson said the new members will join the board in January.

The Friends of the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library will hold its annual Fall Book Sale on Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5.  The sale will be held during regular library hours on both days which are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The sale will feature items that have been withdrawn from the library’s collection as well as those that have been donated by members of the community.  Older items, including those from the library’s collection, will be sold in the library meeting room and most will be priced at $1 per title.  This will also be a BOGO (buy one, get one) sale.  Like-new items in excellent to very good condition will be sold in the daily book sale area of the main room for $2 each.

Members of the friends of the library will receive a 25% discount upon presentation of their current membership card.  Memberships can be purchased or renewed any time when the library is open including on the days of the sale.  Current dues are $5 for senior citizens, primary, and secondary school students, $10 for all other individuals, and $20 for families and organizations.

All proceeds from the sale will go to the friends group, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.  With these and the revenue from other fundraising activities, the friends make an annual donation to the library in support of its literacy-based programs including summer reading, preschool story sessions, book- and author-related events, etc.