Othello School Board to decide details of bond proposal

The Othello School Board will sponsor a workshop at 6 p.m. Monday to decide what the board wants to include in a construction bond scheduled to go to district voters in February 2018.

Board chair Juan Garza said board members will stay as long as it takes to come to a decision.

Earlier this year board members appointed a committee to look at the options for a sports complex, and people on that committee have been invited to the workshop also. So have members of the bond information committee.

Board members voted in July to offer a bond to the voters, but without specifics on which projects would be included. Board members also have the option to split the project into multiple bonds.

A series of community meetings resulted in a recommendation for a new elementary school, kindergarten through fifth grade, and a second middle school. The proposal also included remodeling and expansion at the existing Othello High School. Two other projects were included as options, a sports complex and an auditorium.

The new elementary school and middle school would be located on district-owned property at the intersection of 14th Street and Lee Road. The two buildings would be separate and would have separate schedules, but would share some common space.

Earlier this year board members asked a committee to determine the feasibility of building a separate sports complex. The board also received tentative estimates on the cost of a new sports facility. Board members had discussed issuing a capital bond, maximum of $7.5 million, to pay for a sports facility. But the cost estimates were at least $1 million in excess of that.

Juan Garza said board members need to decide what to do about the sports complex. “Are we going ahead with the bond without the sports complex?” he asked.

Discussion about the sports complex has assumed it would be built on the 14th Street property. With that in mind, board member Mike Garza asked about site preparation. He asked if the 2017 bond would include money to build the water lines and other infrastructure necessary for the sports facility, even if it’s built later.

Board member Tony Ashton said that’s a decision that’s still pending. “I know we discussed two different bonds, three different bonds, one bond, but I don’t think the board gave direction.”

“I don’t think the board ever said, this is where we’re going to go with it,” said board member Rob Simmons.

Board members decided to have a workshop to nail down the details. The actual bond resolution won’t go before the board until December.