BY GYPSY MUELLER
(Part of the INF 626: Advanced Digital Journalism Class)
Hays Public School District is back with a new bond different from the one proposed and denied last year. USD 489 in Hays is coming back to the community with a $78.5 million dollar bond that would help renovate and create new schools within the greater Ellis county area. This bond is $15.5 million dollars less than the one presented in 2016.
According to a statement put out last year by Sarah Wasinger, USD 489 Board Clerk, and Assistant to the Superintendent, four thousand people voted in the bond that ultimately did not pass. She cites that the rejection of the $94 million dollar bond was most likely due to a significantly increased tax and that residents believed that the school did not examine alternative options.
The tax increase on the current bond is still considerable. The average extra tax for a home in Hays would be about $16.43 a month. In a poll conducted by USD 489, the district asked if the bond should be $73 million or $78.5 million. Each option also included the average monthly tax figured for that amount. The $78.5 million with a $16.43 monthly increase won out with 79 percent of the vote. 7 percent of the vote went to exploring other bond plans.
USD 489 cited in a presentation all of their plans for the district buildings if the bond gets passed. Roosevelt Elementary School would get renovated classrooms, a new gymnasium, and classroom additions. A new Wilson Elementary School will be built behind the existing school site. O’Loughlin Elementary School will be converted into the new housing for Early Childhood Development, the Learning Center and Westside Alternative School. O’Loughlin will also be getting security improvements and classroom renovations. A brand new elementary school would also be built at an undetermined location.
Hays Middle School will receive a new cafeteria and auxiliary gym addition. Heavy renovations will be made to secure the main entrance. Hays High School will be getting the most expansion of the area schools. A new auditorium will be added as well as modernized technical and fine arts classrooms and improved storm shelter and larger classrooms.
Lincoln Elementary and Early Childhood Connections at Washington would be repurposed and Early Childhood Connections at Munjor would be handed back over to the Catholic Church.
One parent and USD 489 employee’s main concern is safety. Rebakah Marshall, Human Resources Assistant for the District Administration Center, believes that the community needs to take this opportunity to update and secure the buildings in the event of an emergency.
“If you cannot keep my kids safe when they’re not with me and they are being educated then I’m going to have an issue.” Marshall also addressed concerns over how this would affect the community. “The thing I heard from people last year is that I don’t have any kids in the district, I understand that but at the same time public education and educating the youth who are coming up to take over this country…it is very important that they are educated.”
Other employees voiced their hopes for the bond.
“We wouldn’t have to bus our kids over [to O’Loughin] for lunch or activities, they could actually have art and stuff like that. I guess it would be nice to have newer facilities that are actually kept up” said Taylor Reynolds, a para-educator at Westside Alternative School.
Alysa Byrum, an employee at Lincoln Elementary, discussed job security. “Of course I worry about my job but it’s necessary-I work here, I see that it is run down. I’m from Larned and we just got a new school and it’s amazing so I would like to see that happen in Hays.”
All three women are planning on voting yes in the bond election in November.
Voter registration is currently underway with the deadline on October 17. November 7 is the election day, which will be held at 718 Main St. in Hays, KS.