W-MU pushes bond vote to 2018

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News

WINFIELD ? Residents in the Winfield Community School District won?t be seeing another bond referendum for school improvements this year.

Following a failed $9.5 million referendum in February, the school board had been discussing attempting another vote in September of this year. However, after consideration Superintendent Jeff Maeder recommended holding off on the vote until February 2018.

The bond issue would be for school improvements including constructing a new space for pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, upgrading the school?s practice gym and industrial classroom, and expanding the cafeteria and commons area and band and music rooms.

?I would personally recommend we not push for September. I think it?s going to be very difficult to get people organized, get things organized over the summer,? he explained. ?I think we can have a really good, organized effort if we start in the fall and have that time until February. It won?t be such a tight window that way.?

Maeder said he has heard from community members that they felt the bond vote last February was rushed and there wasn?t enough information available. Waiting until next winter to hold a vote would allow the school board and the Building the Pack committee to formulate plans on the best way to disseminate the information.

Maeder said picking a referendum date would also be beneficial to the HVAC system project. Maeder said the engineering firm for the HVAC system had completed their walk through inspection of the building, but at this point they?re at a standstill.

?At some point we?re going to have to decide to move forward,? Maeder said of the HVAC project, which had been presented to the public as a project that would be accomplished no matter how the bond vote ended.

Maeder said an engineer from the firm would be at the June board meeting to discuss the impact of beginning the project prior to the referendum vote or waiting to see if the bond issue would pass.

As for the roof repairs, construction crews will be on campus in mid-June and should have the project completed within two to three weeks. ?We?ll be fine getting all of that done before school starts,? said Maeder.

In other business, the board:

? Approved the senior class list.

? Approved the Great Prairie Area Education Agency purchasing agreement.

? Authorized the bid from Your Dream Home and Flooring of $15,656 for new flooring in the kitchen. Funds would come from the nutrition budget.

? Approved student teaching agreements with the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa Wesleyan University.

? Approved concurrent enrollment agreement with Southeastern Community College.

The next meeting of the Winfield-Mt. Union School Board will be held on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, at 6 p.m., in the media center.