By STEVE WEBSTER
Great Bend Post

GREAT BEND — The Great Bend USD 428 school board Monday night reviewed the master plan for districtwide improvements prepared by SJCF Architecture. The total amount for Phase 1 would be $39.5 million dollars which would make improvement to all Great Bend Public Schools. Those improvements include securing entrances, creating storm shelters, and making space for preschool by moving 6th graders to the middle school.

Phase 1 does include the construction of a new transportation building at the District Education Center on Patton Road that would carry a price tag of $4.1 million dollars, but those plans have not been finalized. If the new building was not included, the bond amount would be for $35.1 million.

If the bond issue were for 20-years, homeowners of a $100,000 house in Great Bend would see a 12.000 mill increase which would mean and additional $138.00 per year in property taxes. If the bond were for 25 years, the mill levy increase would be 10.25 mills for an increase of $117.88 per year in taxes.

The master phasing plan does include Phase 2 and Phase 3 improvement that would not be done immediately and are separate from the Phase 1 improvements that voters will be asked to vote on.

No vote was taken Monday night to proceed with the bond issue but that decision is expected to be made at the next school board meeting in early June. With only a certain amount of bonds available each year, the district needs to be approved by the Kansas State Board of Education for the bond amount by July 1.

Superintendent Chris Thexton indicated that the district is planning for a mail in ballot election that could be held as early as late summer or early fall. Those details will be revealed at the June meeting.