Voters in the Lindsay school district will be deciding two school bond issue propositions totaling just over $12.3 million on a special election ballot set for Aug. 27.
Proposition 1 is for a 10-year bond issue of $11,795,000, which will be used for facility construction and building improvements across the district.
The bond proposition includes $5.63 million to build a new multi-purpose training facility, which will include a large enough area to allow student athletes and the district’s band students to have a place to practice indoors in inclement weather, according to Lindsay Superintendent Chuck Karpe.
The proposed facility will include men’s and women’s locker rooms, which Karpe said will allow the district to better comply with Title IX requirements in terms of providing equal facilities for women’s sports.
The bond proposition also allocates $2.715 million for improvements to the elementary school’s playground area, including site work to address drainage issues to prevent the area from flooding when it rains and installing new playground equipment and security fencing around the area.
“The wood playground structure that is there looks good when you drive by, but it really is in disrepair,” Karpe said. “There are screws pulling loose and the wood is splintering in places, creating a hazard for injuries.”
Karpe said the security fencing will allow the district to secure the play area to protect children not just during school hours but overnight as well. The district is currently having to survey the area regularly to ensure it is free from outside hazards that are being introduced through unauthorized access during the overnight hours.
The elementary school playground improvements will impact 650 elementary age children in the district on a daily basis, Karpe said.
Another $2.07 million will be used to remodel the district’s auditorium. That project will include a new sound system and lighting and improvements to the auditorium’s stage, seating and flooring.
The proposition also includes $1.38 million to be used for HVAC improvements across the district. Karpe said those funds will help replace aging HVAC units that are nearing the end of their lifespan.
Proposition 2 is a fiveyear bond issue for $600,000, which will be used to purchase vehicles for student transportation.
Both of Lindsay’s bond issue propositions will replace existing bonds, according to Karpe, and if approved, are not projected to increase annual ad valorem taxes for property owners in the district.
In Oklahoma, school bond issues require a 60 percent supermajority to pass.
Editor’s Note: The Wynnewood school district is also asking voters to approve a multi-million-dollar bond issue proposition Aug. 27. The News Star will have more on that ballot measure in next week’s issue.
