South Tama Middle School in Toledo. -News-Herald file

A group of 11 committee members are now actively circulating petitions for a special election on the issuance of up to $20.8 million in general obligation bonds to pay for a South Tama Middle School addition to be built onto the present high school building in Tama. The form of the petition was approved on a 5-0 voice vote of the STC School Board during the regular board meeting Monday night, Dec. 16.

Funding from the one cent sales tax the school receives and building funds on hand would pay down the bonds cost without a hike in the current property tax levy of $15.35 per $1,000 valuation School Superintendent Jared Smith and Business Manager Mary Boege said.

The ballot would actually include the bond issue and two additional questions which ask for approval of use of the available funding sources. The bond vote requires 60% approval of voters.

Smith and Boege said the plan of financing favored also would include as much as $9 million more in money available or on hand to pay for other needed improvements. However, Smith said current estimates of need are in the total range of some $27 million.

The district currently owes about $3.8 million for the elementary school built in 2006 and $5 million for the high school addition completed in 2017 Boege told The News-Herald.

He said meetings with bond attorneys Piper Jaffray and the district legal counsel, Ahlers and Cooney, Des Moines, have recommended the course being followed as both the best economically and following Iowa law.

On Dec. 6, Brad Leeper and Laura Peterson, members of the Invision Architect firm of Waterloo, recommended the additions “most cost effective” during a special school board meeting. “By building at the high school it not only addresses the needs of the middle school but some of the high school, as well,” Leeper said. A theatre with seating for 500 was one of the possibilities he said.

Seeking Signatures

Superintendent Smith identified the volunteers who are actively seeking petition signatures include Stephanie Babinat, Sue Carnahan, Elizabeth Dolezal, Larry Fletcher, Allison Graham, Darvin Graham, Steve Kenkel, Kevin Nelson, Julie Rathjen Mary Fasse-Shaw and Matt Zmolek.

The petitions must bear signatures totaling 25 percent of those who voted in the Nov. 5 STC School election. This would total 236 district patron signatures Tama County Auditor and Elections Commissioner Laura Kopsa and Elections Commissioner Karen Rohrs earlier confirmed to The News-Herald.

The school board anticipates acting on the petitions if received by their Jan. 6, 2020, meeting and expect to set a March 3 election date.

An evaluation of South Tama school buildings by the Estes Construction firm, with an office in West Des Moines, earlier this year, found the middle school in Toledo the most in need of improvements. It listed facility improvements with the costs ranging from-$5,599,910 – $9,277,629 for the middle school. The figures are among total estimates for the Partnership Center, elementary, middle and high schools and concessions weight room and athletic fields ranging anywhere from a high of $25,429,036 to a low estimated cost of $14,240,830.

In other business Monday the school board:

approved purchase of new MacBook Air computers for 136 teachers at a total cost of $82,994. The equipment will replace five-year-old MacBooks. The cost is based upon a $150 discounted price per unit and a buy back of the old computers by Apple Computer at an expected $289 allowance per unit.

approved new curriculum requests made by Dixie Forche, secondary teacher librarian and district assessment coordinator. To be offered are advanced theatre arts and introduction to college experience both at the high school level.

approved hiring Steve Chyma as transportation director to replace Chad Woosley who resigned effective Dec. 31.

accepted retirement resignations of Lynne Clancy,kindergarten teacher and Kathy Ferneau, middle school cook. Both are effective at the end of rhe 2019-20 school year.

approved early graduation requests for three students.