Dist. 877 bond addresses safety, other issues

The Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose (BHM) School Dist. 877 will have a bond question on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

The proposed $33 million bond includes a variety of projects that touch every school in the district.

The number one project in the bond is the improvements to safety and security in the schools. Hanover Elementary, along with Discovery and Tatanka Elementary schools in Buffalo, would have the entryway to the school remodeled. Parents and the public who visit the school would have to enter through the office and check-in before making their way to any part of the building. Hanover, and other schools around the district, will also see upgrades and additions of security cameras and the high school would install an upgraded intercom/phone system.

The demand for technology is greater and greater each year. Infrastructure, servers, switches, and routers are beginning to show their age as more and more devices are accessing the system since students are being encouraged to bring their own devices to school. Funds for technology would help make necessary upgrades and replacements district-wide while keeping up with the pace of technology.

Another major project within the bond funding is deferred maintenance. Deferred maintenance is composed of projects that have been postponed by the district because the funds are not available. Over the years, these projects add up and eventually need to be addressed. Some of the deferred maintenance projects district-wide include roof replacements (seven out of nine buildings); HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades; parking lot and sidewalk repairs and replacements; floor, window and door upgrades; outdoor equipment replacement; and mechanical system upgrades.

There are also needs for additional classroom spaces around the district. The new entrance at Hanover would allow the current office space to be converted into kindergarten space. Buffalo High School (BHS) is in need of more classroom and physical education space. One large classroom at BHS has been identified that could be remodeled into multiple classrooms. Space would be added on the northeast corner of the Performing Arts Center that would serve as a multi-purpose fine arts classroom. The high school would also see an addition of gymnasium space on the north end of the school by the current gymnasium and activity center.

Annually, activity venues get a few tweaks here and there, but any major improvements are delayed due to high costs and budget constraints. The pool, located at the middle school, is in need of a new water filtration system, HVAC improvements, family locker rooms, updates to the existing locker rooms (flooring, shower tile, fixtures and lockers), and storage. An addition to the outside of the pool area (southwest corner of the middle school) would provide better public access.

Other activity site and facility upgrades at BHS would include adding a track and two multi-purpose playing fields (one field would be a synthetic playing field and the other would be sand-peat), relocating three softball fields to the west end of the school (currently a practice field), making improvements to two baseball fields, and grading and improving irrigation to all the field spaces at the high school and also the fields located at the middle school. The addition and improvements of these spaces would help alleviate the current overcrowded, overused fields at both schools.

The $33 million bond for facilities and technology would have an estimated tax impact of about $88 per year on a $200,000 home (thats just over $7 per month). If approved, the district will begin work on the projects in the summer of 2015 and would be completed within five years or less. The bond would be paid over a period of 15 years.

Voting takes place on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4. Since it is a general election, voters will vote at their regular voting precincts. More detailed information can be found in the districts October Insider newsletter. You will also find updated information on the districts website at http://www.bhmschools.org and Facebook page.

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Dist. 877 bond addresses safety, other issues