Questions are key to setting 2018 referendum
By Alex Johnson
Correspondent
Before it decides what building options will go to a referendum next year, the Burlington Area School District Board of Education must decide what options will make the cut when it comes to a survey of district residents.
That was at the heart of the discussion during Monday’s School Board meeting.
After the board meeting on Aug. 18 resulted in a split vote on whether or not go forward with a survey of district residents presented by consulting firm School Perceptions, the School Board has decided to move forward with the surveying company.
A vote at the meeting on Nov. 6 to continue with School Perceptions ended in 5-2 vote, with members Susan Kessler and Peter Turke wanting to pursue another route.
Board member Roseanne Hahn commented this week on the School Perceptions survey prior to the referendum last April, saying that her neighborhood never received the mailed-out surveys.
“School Perceptions made every effort to send (the survey) out to every ZIP code,” Superintendent Peter Smet said after the meeting.
He also said that in certain areas, such as Kansasville, the mail service did not deliver the surveys on time.
Smet asked the board at Monday’s meeting what building options and questions each member would like to see on the survey, in addition to other pieces of information that could help push forward a successful referendum.
The four options being considered include a maintenance-only option that fixes and updates various mechanical and infrastructure needs around the district; an option to renovate the existing Karcher Middle School; an option to renovate part of Karcher while rebuilding the oldest section; and an option to construct a new middle school.
Board member Phil Ketterhagen has suggested a fifth, hybrid option that includes what he deems as necessary maintenance and repairs, adding secure entrances to various school buildings, and remodeling the existing Karcher Middle School building.
Board member Barry Schmaling said a maintenance-only option would simply defer the other necessities of the district that would be needed within the next five years.
To develop a survey that will solicit helpful information, the School Board will ask Plunkett-Raysich Architects and Scherrer Construction, the two companies who have been working with the district on the various options, what exactly the maintenance package will include for each district building and the price point of each line item.
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