Great Bend schools examine failed bond issue, prepare for another try

Terry Wiggers, SJCF Architecture, presents survey results to the USD 428 Board of Education at the Oct. 14, 2019 meeting. Wiggers outlined the plan moving forward for another possible school bond issue vote in April 2020.

GREAT BEND — USD 428 and SJCF Architecture found out what they believed might have been the problem with a failed bond issue this fall. Based on a survey, that is still open until Oct. 21, participants stated the dollar amount was too high, athletic needs should be eliminated, figure out priorities over needs, and it was a bad election timing due to the economy and city tax increase.

The survey was designed to seek feedback from voters as to why the $44.87 million school bond issue did not pass and what aspects they did support.

Terry Wiggers with SJCF told the USD 428 Board of Education Monday night there were also comments on the survey that there was too much information and that people did not know what was going on.

“There were a number of voters that were concerned with how much information was out there by non-participants that did not have all the facts,” said Wiggers. “If we do another election, we are going to try to really make sure the information is out there, even to the ones that do not have social media.”

As of Oct. 9, there were 409 responses to the survey that is available at greatbendschools.net.

The majority of the responses answered they supported improvements to storm shelters, controlled entrances, expansion to preschool to all elementary schools, and moving 6th grade to the middle school. The survey responses were less favorable for adding another gym to the middle school, building a new transportation and maintenance shop, and turf field at the middle school.

Wiggers was asked by the school board if they should itemize each improvement to give voters exact price tags on specific plans.

“If you are an anti-tax person, you are going to grab every little item,” said Wiggers. “Too much detail can be a killer too. I do not have a problem with being transparent, but you can also kill the bond if you let every person nitpick every line item.”

SJCF plans on working with school administration and the steering committee to revise the bond plan. The new proposed bond will be presented to the school board at the Dec. 9 meeting. The board is expected to take action on the bond at the Jan. 13, 2020 meeting and the revised bond is anticipated to go back to the voters in April 2020.

Wiggers also suggested a walk-in vote format might help rather than the mail-in ballot method the Great Bend school district used this past summer.