Williamsburg school officials to host meetings about bond proposal

WILLIAMSBURG — The Williamsburg Community School District will host two community meetings to inform residents about the district’s facility needs and the Nov. 5 general obligation bond referendum.

The first meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Williamsburg Jr/Sr High School, coinciding with parent-teacher conferences.

The second meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Mary Welsh Elementary School.

“We encourage all community members to make plans to attend one of these meetings and learn about how the November bond referendum could benefit our students and position the district for continued success,” said Superintendent Chad Garber.

The proposed $22.3 million bond referendum would support a multi-phase improvement and expansion plan for the district’s schools. To pass, bond measures require at least 60% approval from voters.

The district also intends to use a portion of the revenue it receives from the state’s one-cent sales tax, the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education fund, to accomplish the two-phase project.

This funding stream has no effect on local property taxes, the District said.

The funding will create an addition for fifth and sixth grades at Mary Welsh Elementary and renovate existing classrooms to better meet best practices in teaching and learning.

The renovation will create space for small group and collaborative learning, upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, add new energy-efficient LED lighting, and add space for band and general music.

The project will relocate the media center, making it the central hub for the building.

Site work at Mary Welsh, including additional parking, is scheduled as part of Phase I.

At Williamsburg Jr./Sr. High School, renovations will create a new Career and Technical Education Center to provide more educational space for hands-on training and experience, preparing students for a future in the skilled trades, agriculture education and industrial technology.

Additional projects include renovating existing space to improve programming in family and consumer science and other career and technical education areas and improving mechanical systems.

Phase I will add space for instrumental music and consolidation of the food service and cafeteria space, including updates to equipment and a combined lunchroom/commons area.

The district’s current debt service levy is $0.87 per $1,000 of taxable property value and the maximum amount it could levy with an approved bond referendum in November is $2.70, the District said.

Property taxes could increase up to $1.83 per $1,000 of taxable value for debt service, which amounts to $13.39 per month (or $160.74 per year) on a home with an assessed value of $200,000.

For more information about the bond referendum, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit williamsburgbond.org.