SELLERSBURG – The West Clark Community Schools board voted Sunday night to pursue a $110 million referendum, which it would use to make extensive upgrades to each school and build a new Silver Creek High School off-site.
The board needed to determine exactly how much money it was requesting and what it intended to use it for before Tuesday’s 1028 public hearing.
After three hours of discussion, board members Doug Coffman, Joe Basham and Crystal Gunther voted to seek the $110 million to, in Gunther’s words, “do it and do it right and make sure we are supporting the needs of all of our students.”
“It’s going to be tough to pass either way,” Coffman said.
An exact number on how a $110 million referendum would affect taxpayers will be available Tuesday night. It will cost somewhere between $276 and $300 annually for a homeowner with a property valued at $100,000.
Brian Hurst and Brian Guernsey voted against the motion. Guernsey admitted that $95 million would not be enough to get each school on equal footing, but stated he would not support even that amount, a statement that brought outright signs of frustration from the public in attendance.
“You’re saying ‘the taxpayer is my number one priority.’ When you start at a number, that’s the message that you send. Not that the student is the priority, but the taxpayer is the priority… you aren’t always going to make the taxpayer happy by doing what’s best for the students, but at the end of the day my role as a school board member is to represent the students,” Gunther told Guernsey to the crowd's applause.
Hurst stated he would support up to approximately $72 million, arguing he didn’t want to go above what the tax rate was in 2014. He was also adamant that his community wouldn’t support the issue either way for fear of consolidation.
Board members agreed they were not for consolidation and requested that a statement to that effect be included in the exhibit to show good faith to the voters.
However, some believe a new high school and allowing inter-district transfers, another hot topic during the meeting, would mean the ultimate demise of Borden and Henryville schools, even if is not the board’s intention.
According to Hurst, a new high school and allowing inter-district transfers are the first two steps in a three-step process to consolidation.
“It will weaken the other high schools,” Guernsey agreed.
“Keeping three campuses open is going to cost more money. I think we have something special for every single parent in this district. We support all three campuses. That comes with a price,” Superintendent Chad Schenck said.
A first draft of the referendum outlines what the $110 million would pay for at each school.
Every school, with the exception of Silver Creek High School, would see renovations to HVAC and electrical systems as well as more secure front entrances.
A new Silver Creek High School would be built at a different location. The current high school would not be torn down, but rather may still be utilized by the district down the road, according to Schenck.
The two additions, one built in 1980 and another in 2010, and a nearby wing total around 12 classrooms that the district may tap into. If they do, they will upgrade the HVAC, do roof repairs and other fixes to the areas of the building in use.
“The existing high school could be renovated in phases as we need that space,” Schenck said.
Tuesday’s hearing, to be held at the Silver Creek High School auditorium at 6 p.m., is a chance for the public to speak directly to the board before it votes on the resolution.