BUCHANAN — The Buchanan Community School District bond’s financial impact on a person with a property with a market value of $200,000 would be an additional $130 a year — or $10.83 a month — the school board explained at a public meeting Tuesday at the middle school.

The school board approved the scope of the $19.5 million bond — which was then $22.5 million — on Oct. 17. It was submitted to the state’s treasury department for approval in early November. The board is expected to approve the bond’s ballot language on Dec. 19 so the bond can be put on the ballot. The bond would come up for vote on Feb. 28.

Supt. Andrea van der Laan said the school board and facility committee used a lot of feedback from the community to come up with the scope of the bond issue.

The bond would pay for massive improvements to the middle school and Ottawa Elementary and minor improvements to the high school and Moccasin Elementary.

Voters rejected a $31 million bond in May. A survey taken over the summer indicated voters would have supported a smaller bond.

In order to reduce the financial impact on taxpayers, the board decided to split the project into two phases. The first phase is included in the $19.5 million bond. The second phase would cost $11.5 million and would not be brought up for another three to four years, according to van der Laan.

Buchanan Bond Issue Plan:

 

Buchanan Middle School ($10.6 million)

• New entrance and administration office relocated to the south side of the building to address access, egress, control and security issues

• Technology upgrades, including high-speed internet and fiber optics ring

• Remodeling of the building. This would include the following: walls between classrooms; physical education locker rooms; art, choir and band rooms; media center; bathrooms and entry ways to include barrier free access; upgraded kitchens; remodeling the current gym into a cafeteria/dining space

• New gymnasium

• New energy efficient mechanical rooms, equipment, boilers and control systems

• New electrical rooms

• Energy efficient exterior doors

• New windows for natural lighting

• New and updated electrical outlets

• Life/safety improvements, including emergency lighting and updated fire alarm and sprinkler systems

• New parking lot, driveways, walks

• New roof

 

Ottawa Elementary ($7.7 million)

• New secure student/visitor entry/administrative office

• Technology upgrades, including high-speed internet and fiber optics ring

• Remodeling of building. This would include the following: classrooms; media center; bathrooms and entryways to include barrier free access; upgraded kitchens

• Addition of first and second grade wing

• Lunchroom expansion

• Addition of activity/physical education room

• New energy efficient mechanical rooms, equipment, boilers and control systems

• New electrical rooms

• Energy efficient exterior doors

• New windows for natural lighting

• New and updated electrical outlets

• New access roads, sidewalks, fencing, paving, playgrounds, separate bus and parent drop-off, expanded parking lot

• New roof

• Life/safety improvements, including emergency lighting and updated fire alarm and sprinkler systems

Buchanan High School ($800,000)

• High-speed internet

• New technology cabling and equipment

• Update/renovate district-wide technology room to accommodate new districtwide technology system.

• Replace sidewalks, landscaping to accommodate technology connections to district buildings

• Life/safety improvements, including security and emergency lighting and updated fire alarm and sprinkler systems

Moccasin Elementary ($400,000)

• Technology upgrades, including high-speed internet and fiber optics ring

• Remodeling exit doors

• Life/safety improvements, including emergency lighting, updated fire alarm systems and barrier free access in restrooms