RSD Facilities Committee slates meeting

ROYAL CITY - Royal School District patrons who'd like to have a say on plans for a construction bond election in February, will have the opportunity next Monday.

The Facilities Committee, which is not an arm of the district, will have its next meeting on Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Royal High School library. The regular monthly school board meeting will follow.

The District will be seeking approval of the sale of $8.75 million in construction bonds in an election set for Feb. 12. Approval will bring $4.4 million in state matching funds. The district would throw in $1.1 million it has saved for a total of $14.25 million in construction.

That amount would allow the district to add four classrooms to the high school and 14 classrooms and a gymnasium to the fifth-grade pod to create a new intermediate school.

If that were accomplished, Royal Schools would change from elementary (K-5, including pod), middle (6-8) and high school (9-12) to K-3 elementary, 4-6 intermediate, 7-8 middle and high school.

The bonds would be retired over 15 years at an interest rate of 3.21 percent. The property assessment to accomplish that would be $1.19 per $1,000 of property value.

In other words, approval would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $119 per year in added property tax.

According to Superintendent Rose Search, the Royal School District has been reclassified a K-8 system from K-12. That means there is less space per K-8 student than in the past.

That causes a funding formula to kick in that produces $4.4 million in state support compared to $1.5 million in the past.

This 20-classroom plan is more aggressive than past plans. It will meet district needs several years into the future, according to district officials.

The district has a sketch of the construction plan. You may view it and comment by calling the district office.

This plan came out of half a dozen or so facilities meetings during the year. Those meetings continue.

Persons who seek information may call Search or business manager David Andra or any of the school board members.

They are Bonney Brown, 346-9260; Bob Murphy, 346-9261; Craig Janett, 346-2620; Michael Noftle, 346-1888 and Mike Scroggins, 346-9742.