(Emmetsburg)– Voters in the Emmetsburg Community School District will decide the fate of a 29.75 million dollar bond issue when they head to the polls November 5th. Superintendent Cory Jennes says it would allow for construction of a new elementary school…
“We just have a lot of structural features in the building itself that if we wanted to we could fix at the building, however, at the end of the day, we’d be putting a lot of money into a building that’s already 70 years old. The committee and the school board both decided that the best use of district finances moving forward would be to build on a new site.”
Jennes tells news partner KTIV the current facility also no longer meets the needs for modern day educational standards…
“The building that we have right now has served its purpose, its done great for 70 years. The problem is the advances in education have also advanced and so what we used to teach 70 years ago and just sitting in classrooms and stuff is not the norm any more. And that’s really what we’re trying to do is provide a better opportunity for these students that we have.”
If approved, residents in the Emmetsburg Community School District would see their tax levy go up by $2.54 per $1,000 of assessed value. They would also head back to the polls in March to vote on a proposal to increase the district’s debt service levy.
