Registered voters in Wayne School District #17 have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14 to turn in the ballots that will determine the fate of a proposed school bond for the district.
Ballots were mailed to 3,346 registered voters in the district during the week of Feb. 20. These need to be returned by mail, by dropping them off at the County Clerk's Office during regular business hours or by placing them in the drop box on the northeast corner of the courthouse.
Voters will be deciding whether or not to move forward with a $27,945,000 bond to allow for construction and renovation of the district's facilities.
Seven new classrooms would be constructed on two levels on the east side of the junior-senior high school. One of these would be a larger science class room/lab that would allow for all the science classrooms to be in one location.
Renovation of the current Lecture Hall would allow for a larger stage and improved seating. The vocal music department would move to the west side of the school, closer to the Lecture Hall and band room.
The current wrestling room would become a lab for the ag department and a wrestling room would be constructed next to the current weight room on the south side of the junior-senior high school.
A new building for Pre-K through second grade would include four classrooms for kindergarten through second grade and two for preschool students. A storm shelter for the building is also part of the plan. It would be constructed to the west of the parking area near the Community Activity Center.
With the building of the Pre-K through second grade facility, the current elementary school would become a third through sixth grade building, allowing for the district to grow and offer four sections per grade should that be necessary.
During last week's Chamber Coffee, hosted by the Wayne School Bond Supports, it was noted that the expansion would allow the district to grow by 250-300 students before additional space would be needed.
Current projections call for a 12.9 cent levy per $100 of valuation for the duration of bond. This would result in a $129 increase in taxes on a $100,000 home.
For the purpose of bond payments, ag land is taxable at 50% of its value.
More details on the bond, the costs to taxpayers and the scope of the project, visit wayneschoolsbond.com or contact Superintendent Dr. Mark Lenihan, at (402) 375-3150 or malenih1@waynebluedevils.org
