Royal bond proposal covers 15 years

ROYAL CITY - Royal School District patrons who believe the construction bond proposal up for election on April 23 will cover only two or three years of enrollment growth are mistaken, according to district business manager David Andra.

"This is a 15-year plan," he said last week.

The construction proposal would add 18 classrooms, one library, one computer lab and one multipurpose room, Andra said. Eighteen additional classrooms would provide space for approximately 450 additional students.

"Even after moving classes currently held in portables into the main buildings, we would still have capacity for many years of growth," Andra said.

According to Andra, the construction proposal would move fourth grade from Red Rock, move sixth grade from Royal Middle School and add classrooms to Royal High School. This would give the district room for growth at all levels.

"As the 15-year term expires on the proposed bond, our current buildings will then be eligible for modernization funding," Andra said.

According to Andra, modernization is funded entirely by the state, and some of those funds can be used for new construction.

Andra noted it's been 12 years since the last time classrooms were built (fifth-grade pod). There has been an increase of approximately 260 students in that time. The district has four classrooms housed in portables and rents space at a church for a preschool program.

"We also still have teachers who must share classrooms and/or teach from a cart," Andra said. "Small group instruction still occurs in hallways and even in the middle school faculty room."

Other problems the school board aims to solve with construction is overcrowded hallways and common spaces, Andra said. The middle school hallways, in particular, are crowded.

"Red Rock Elementary must accommodate over 760 students with one computer lab, one library, one gymnasium and one small cafeteria and warming kitchen," Andra said.

Andra noted RRE students start eating lunch at around 10:45 a.m. and are cycled through rather quickly so everyone can eat at a reasonable lunch hour.

"Our current facility challenges make it difficult to have flexibility in our educational programs," Andra said. "We do not have the option to maintain lower class sizes because there aren't enough classrooms. If we chose to add more art or music classes, we wouldn't have the space."

Andra said the district already has funding for more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes but lacks the space to teach those classes.

"Our vision would be to be able to provide more AP classes, STEM classes and to expand our career and technical training for our secondary students," he said.

The election is scheduled for April 23, but that is really the last day of the election process. Ballots should be arriving in the mail by April 5.