By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
As far as research can tell, Kansasville Grade School was originally built in 1918, with renovations made in 1958.
With close to 60 years on the building since those changes were made, the school district is looking to make some additions with a referendum set to go forward in February 2017.
The Dover Joint School District No. 1, also known as Kansasville School, began dealing with the possibility of a referendum when parents came forward wanting to see improvements made to the school.
Currently, several areas of the school serve not only two, but three purposes – like the library, which is equal parts classroom, library and computer lab.
Students also don’t have a cafeteria, and take their lunch back to their classrooms. Since the higher grades at the school are required to change into athletic clothes for physical education, the lower level bathrooms also serve as locker rooms.
In addition, when physical education isn’t in the gymnasium, music classes are.
Add in a variety of areas that do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including a lack of ramps and only stairs to the second floor, and Kansasville District Administrator and Principal Matt Stratton said the need seems clear.
“You can be pessimistic, and say we don’t need anything,” he said. “We can get by now, and we can get by in the future.
“But we care about the kids, we care about the community and we want to move forward and change with the educational environment.”
School Board President Bob Kordus said the goal was not for the school district to bring a referendum forth, but wait for parents to express the need.
“Sometimes, what you do on a School Board isn’t good for you and isn’t good for me, but it’s what the people want,” he said. “I have to listen to what they want.
“The people think it needs to be done,” he added. “I wanted the people to realize the need, and they did.”
The district is planning for a $4.2 million referendum, which would cover a variety of ADA compliance issues, as well as add a cafeteria, six new classrooms and a new gymnasium.
The current gymnasium has no seating space, and concrete walls within a foot of the basketball court. The new gymnasium would include bleachers, and the old gymnasium would become the school’s cafeteria.
“They’ve done the best they can do with what we have,” said Kordus, but added that the new gymnasium would allow school teams to have a place to call home.
The largest issue, however, remains the space. There are currently 107 students enrolled for the 2016-17 school year. Stratton said the school is built to comfortable house about 85.
With so many rooms serving a dual purpose, it “makes scheduling a nightmare,” Stratton explained. That includes the front entranceway, which is also a testing area during certain times of the year.
With the cost determined for the renovations, the district has broken the numbers down into cost per day. On a $100,000 home, the cost for the work would be 59 cents a day.
The mill rate calculates to $2.15 per $1,000 of property value per year.
“We’re trying to do the most reasonable and responsible thing for the students, parents and community members,” Stratton said. “Looking out for their best interests, and be intelligent with this.”
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