Staff writer
Voters in the Hillsboro school district will decide Jan. 23 whether to borrow $15.55 million to make capital improvements at schools and the district office.
Hillsboro’s school board unanimously voted Monday to schedule the special election, for which the district will have to pay all costs.
Superintendent Clint Corby said the state would pay for 1% of planned capital improvement.
“The Kansas State Board of Education still has to approve this,” Corby told board members. “They’ve never not approved one, at least that I know.”
Proposed improvements at the elementary school include a new tornado shelter, building security, and improvements to heating and cooling, a boiler, playground, exterior, furniture, and carpeting.
“The tornado shelter would also serve as classroom space,” Corby said. “We made some visits to Augusta, where they have something like that set up. We could couple that together and get classroom space as well. We wouldn’t have that space sitting empty.”
Improvements at the middle and high school would include roof, heating and cooling, boiler and chiller, gymnasium, plumbing, exterior, windows, auditorium, security, fire safety, and elevator improvements.
“We’d secure entrances in that when you enter the building, you have to enter from the office,” he said.
Improvements at the district office building would focus on roof work and gutter, paint, concrete, and door repairs.
Some proposed roof work would be to make repairs and other roof work would be to prevent future damage, he said.
“Any time you have flat roofs, you have inherent problems,” Corby said.
If the borrowing is approved by voters, DCS Services, Wichita, will provide construction management.