Warden declines bonds proposal

No second attempt for schools

WARDEN — The Warden school board decided Thursday not to bring a second bonds proposal to voters during a May 15 special election.

Residents of the community showed up at a board meeting Thursday to discuss their reservations with the proposal, including the bonds committee co-chairs.

A new, less expensive proposal included modernization and expansion of the cafeteria-kitchen and the addition of a middle school and high school music suite for $4.9 million.

A $9.3 million proposal this month, which included a renovation of the high school gym in addition to the other projects, narrowly failed a 60 percent supermajority vote. The most recent count showed 57.8 percent of people voted yes. Final results are certified March 28.

Committee Co-chair Aaron Golladay recommended the board wait on bringing a proposal back to voters, and so did Co-chair Doug Skone.

Skone said he believed the district could find better value.

"It just seems like we're missing something," he said.

Skone said the district could consider constructing a new cafeteria out of steel and use the current cafeteria for a band room.

"A steel building doesn't have to look like a steel building," he said.

Warden resident Nelson Cox said he believed the cost of construction was far more than construction typically costs.

"Personally, I don't see where you're getting anything for it," Cox said.

Board member Rick Martin asked Cox whether he would support just fixing the cafeteria.

"Not at those kind of exorbitant figures, no way," he replied.

Board member Marilyn Rupprecht said she received phone calls from people in the community who said if the district brought the proposal to them a second time, they would vote against it.

"I'm afraid we're going to lose the votes we do have," Rupprecht said.

Warden Elementary School Principal Jill Massa said some grades at the elementary school are forced to eat in their classrooms, and the high school students must eat quickly to make way for the next group of students.

Massa said she takes the failing of the bonds proposal personally.

"It's pretty personal when you've got kids who can't eat," Massa said.

Community and board members discussed at the meeting the need for more housing in Warden.

"You've got to build houses out here that people are going to be paying taxes on," said Warden resident Curtis Cole.

District Superintendent Sandra Sheldon said she knows of teachers who joined the district and live outside the community because they could not find homes in Warden.

"It's not that people don't want to move here, it's just they can't find housing," she said.