Calldwell school bond passes easily
IDAHO PRESS TRIBUNE - Bryan Dooley
10-26-07
CALDWELL — A $30 million bond measure passed with 76.6 percent of the vote Thursday night, meaning the Caldwell School District will see some long-awaited upgrades.
The total vote was 813 for and 249 against, well above the two-thirds majority needed to pass.
The bond will fund the following projects:
Rebuild Washington Elementary School, built in 1903, to hold up to 750 students. The new school, which will be built at Montana and Alder, will cost $10 million.
Rebuild Van Buren Elementary School, built in 1941, to also hold up to 750 students. The new school, which will be built at Marble Front and Lincoln, will cost $10 million.
Superintendent Roger Quarles said site preparation and design will begin immediately. After a 30-day period the bonds can be sold, and construction will begin sometime after that.
Officials anticipate the new schools will open in fall 2009.
The bond will also:
Retrofit existing schools with energy-saving features, including heating and air conditioning upgrades, boiler replacements and lighting upgrades. The projects will cost $6 million and will pay for themselves in 20 years by saving 30 to 40 percent on energy costs, district officials have said.
Remodel the old Van Buren Elementary building, after students move out, to house Canyon Springs Alternative High School and district administrative offices. The school will hold up to 300 students and pull about 200 at-risk students from already crowded Caldwell High School. The renovated building is expected to open in spring or fall of 2010, and the work will cost $4 million.
Officials said the bond will not raise the tax levy rate from its current rate of $2.72 per $1,000 of assessed value.
