The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Voters in the Dayton School District will likely be asked in April to approve a major bond levy measure to finance the first comprehensive school reno- vation here in 30 years. The District's facilities review committee last week decided to proceed with a plan that is projected to cost $24.2 million. About $19.5 million of that would be funded by the bond, to be repaid by local property taxes. The remain- der would be covered by state matching funds.

Dayton School Superintendent Doug Johnson said that he and members of the committee will be reaching out to the community in the next several weeks to present the plan and invite feedback. He said the committee ex- pects to make a final recom- mendation to the Dayton School Board in February. The board would then file for a bond measure to be presented to voters, with voting ending on April 22.

The proposal, as it is currently set, will make broad changes to the Dayton campus: - Complete renovation of

Dayton High School - Convert second floor audi- torium to classrooms - Expand and modernize science classrooms - Make the building fully

ADA compliant - Add second floor restroom, where none have existed - Construct a new commons building between the high school and the elementary school, to include: - New cafeteria and kitchen facility - Seating and stage for live performances - Commons building would provide physical connec- tion between elementary and high schools to improve security - Convert existing elemen- tary school multi-purpose room to a full-time gymnasium, with removal of ex- isting kitchen and cafeteria facilities - Complete modernization of heating and cooling systems in the elementary school building - Construction of new maintenance building - Replacement of roofs on existing ag. shop and wood shop buildings

The plan the committee has chosen to move forward with is one of four presented to the group by BLRB Architects, the firm that is consulting with the school on their facilities upgrade. It is the most comprehensive of the four.

At an earlier meeting, BLRB had put a price tag of $27.6 million on an option with a very similar scope of work. The bond needed for that proposal would have been approxi- mately $23 million.

Johnson said that the consultants learned more about permitting and plan- ning requirements that caused them to lower their cost estimate for that proposal.

With a bond of $19.5 million, the committee is estimating that the levy rate in 2015 for property owners in the district will be about $2.70 per thousand dollar valuation. That number is based on issuing a 20-year bond. It is also based on current total property valuation in the district and best estimates of bond interest rates. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay an additional $270 per year in property taxes. If total valuation in the district increased over time, the rate per thousand would decrease.

"This is far from being a done deal," said John- son. He said that after input from the public is received over the next sev- eral weeks, the committee will meet again in early 2014 to gauge the reaction and make a final decision on a recommendation to the school board. "It's very possible the committee could make changes to their recommendation after getting feedback from the community," Johnson said.

Johnson is inviting members of the community to contact him or other committee members if they have questions or com- ments about the proposed facility upgrade. He said he is also happy to meet with any group in the commu- nity to make a presentation on the proposal. He can be reached at (509) 382-2543.