BURTON RESIDENTS HEAR ABOUT PROPOSED SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS
The Burton Volunteer Fire Station was filled Thursday evening with residents eager to hear about the proposed facilities improvement plan for the Burton Schools and the associated 18 million dollar bond issue. Burton Superintendent Dr. Edna Kennedy said that the improvements were needed to meet the expected growth in the district. Currently, Burton has 425 students enrolled this fall and that number is expected to exceed 500 by 2025. The improvements will also bring the facilities into ADA compliance and improve the overall security on the campus.
Architect Tim Gescheidle reviewed the proposed improvements that include additional classrooms, expanded science labs, increasing the cafeteria and kitchen space and a new band hall. A new high school competition gym is planned where the current football field is located. A new football field with an 8 lane track is proposed for the area north-west of the current field. The proposed project will also address drainage issues with the campus.
Financial advisor Dusty Traylor explained that the total project cost would require an 18 million dollar 25 year bond. District administrators hope the bond issue can be placed on the November ballot for the voters to decide on. If passed, Traylor explained what effect the bond would have on the average homeowner in the district:
The meeting was organized by the Building a Better Burton School group and they have several more planned. The next informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday August 18th and is expected to include County Tax Appraiser Willy Dilworth.
It appears the cafeteria expansion and putting the band hall in the blue area will eliminate two science labs, a math classroom and possibly the HS computer lab. New construction will “replace the two science labs”. Will there not be a need for a third science lab? Where will the HS computer lab be? By putting it in the new classroom building, it could include newer technology and wired with the new networking that should be a part of the new construction. So that puts the net gain in classrooms at seven or eight.
While on the topic of technology, will the bond include purchases of new computers for teachers and labs? Bond money spent on equipment saves money in Maintenance & Operation budgets for several years. Other items would include buses, furniture and repairs. New carpet, repairing the showers in the old gym would be a prudent expense to move expenses from the Maintenance & Operation budget to the debt side. Another advantage to the taxpayers is that all money that they fund on the debt side is not subject to Robin Hood. So every dollar shifted from Maintenance and Operation to Debt the district gets to spend all those funds in the district.
Other items that should be included in the bond would be all the equipment needed for the teachers, gym, football and track facilities for the next several years. Things like hurdles, pole vaulting and high pads, starting blocks, uniforms, football helmets and pads, baseball/softball lights, student desks, lab equipment, software programs to improve academics long term and more could be budgeted in the bond.
This is a good opportunity for the district to make long term financial plans and impact budgets for the next five years. This includes “tax swaps” that would lower the tax rate on the Maintenance & Operation side to give them wiggle room for raises and inflation. Hopefully the Board has sought advice from other Boards that have gone through this. There are folks at the service center and other organizations that Board members could schedule training with to discuss all options.
Hope it is all good for the Burton community. The Community support the past several years has resulted in the enrollment doubling, athletics providing several opportunities for fans to travel and wear red across the state, and academics rising to exceed state expectations. All those factors were listed as reasons Burton ISD was recognized in the “Top 100” districts in the state. May the trajectory continue to new heights! Go Big Red!
To hear that the district has had an increase in enrollment of approx 90 students from 2006 to last year shows that the school is in need of a larger cafeteria and more classrooms. The layout shows where buildings would go and building the high school class rooms on the football makes sense to keep the students in an area that can be protected and secured.
This group did an outstanding job of presenting the “FACTS” to the voters, the reasons why we need this expansion, and how the “KIDS” and community benefit from this. Great job!
Move up to a “2A” school was eye opening!
Their boards willingness to be transparent with the issues is commendable!
These “KIDS” deserve this! Needless to say they got my vote!