The Heartland School Board is taking steps to have a bond election in the May state primary so the proposed facility expansion project may go forward.
The Heartland School Board is moving forward with plans to present a new bond on the ballot in the upcoming May 14 statewide primary election. Since the resolution for increasing Heartland’s tax authority failed in the August special election, the board has been sorting through options about how to complete the halted construction project.
They have decided to present a bond issuance with the purpose of fully funding the complete comprehensive facilities project. Unlike the increased tax authority special election, which required a 60% majority to pass, the bond will only need a simple majority.
Heartland Superintendent Klein estimates the bond amount they would ask to vote YES on would be around $6.5- $6.6 million. “We have until March 1, 2024, to officially file with the county election commissioner; by then, we will know our construction cost projections.”
“If this bond issue passes, the estimated $13.5 million comprehensive facilities project will be designed, drawn, and ready to go. If it doesn’t pass, we will have a scaled-down $7 million project we will proceed with,” said Klein.
“It will be a simple YES or NO vote for the bond on the ballet. We will determine what cuts will be made before the election so voters will realize what the results of not passing this bond will look like in a scaled-down building plan,” said Klein.
Klein emphasized that the daycare/early childhood education facility will be built whether the bond passes or not since the voters have already approved it as a separate bond in the first election.
A building committee that includes three board members (Gary Braun, Tyler Newton, and Tammy Ott), Klein, administrators, and maintenance staff has been meeting during the entire process. They are responsible for consulting with architects, a design team, and engineers to determine future cost estimates if construction was to begin in 2024. They also are working on what cuts would need to be made for the possibility of a reduced $7 million project.
Heartland has one of the lowest levies in the region, and if this new bond passes, the levy total is estimated to be around 64.5 cents, which will still be in the lower tier, according to Klein.
After the first of the year, more information will be available through the Heartland Community School website and Heartlandbeat.com. The public will have opportunities to attend informational meetings after all the plans are finalized.
RECAP OF COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING PROJECT:
In May of 2022, Heartland patrons passed the original bond issue, which was a little over $7 million. Due to increased projected costs, the initial bids were too high and were rejected in December 2022. Additional funding was obtained, but the needed funding became unavailable due to the legislature’s last-minute changes to LB 243 on June 1, 2023. In an effort to obtain increased tax authority so the project could go forward, Heartland held a special election, and it failed, needing a 60% majority to pass. The board halted the project in August 2023 and has spent the past months deciding how to proceed.
Comprehensive Building Project Includes:
Main entrance/office expansion and safety renovations
Four classroom addition
Childcare facility
Agriculture/Industrial Technology shop connection to the main building
Activity entrance renovation
Weight room addition
Locker room addition
North gyms, air conditioning and bleachers
Fire sprinklers
Updated fire detection system and controls
Updated electrical capacity, power distribution systems and infrastructure
