When Superintendent Blaine Hess next goes before the State School Building Authority (SBA), he will ask once again for funding for a new elementary school in Kenna.
At last Thursday’s meeting, the Board of Education directed him to prepare plans for the project.
Those plans will be up for preliminary approval at a special session on October 27 at 7 p.m. in the Board office.
Two sites are under consideration for the $11-million school. The Board already owns land on Kenna Ridge that was purchased for the school. That site raised the ire of many in the community. Another option is the site upon which the school now sits. That site would require the purchase of 4.5 more acres and the construction of a two-story building. The Kenna Ridge site would contain a one-story school.
Preliminary information must be given to the SBA by November 1. The final pitch for the funds must be ready in March. The Board will offer a 15% local match which does not include the purchase of the land for the project.
The Board agreed to forgive part of a financial obligation of the Ravenswood Athletic Boosters.
The group owes the Board $55,672 on the construction of the athletic facilities building at Ravenswood High. When the structure was built, the Board agreed that it would be left open and used only for the high school athletics program. Currently, the building is in use all day as classroom space for Ravenswood Middle School. The Board also plans to use 720 square feet of the space for restrooms for the high school gym.
For those reasons, the Board – in a compromise move – voted to forgive $30,000 of the outstanding obligation. Board President Carroll Staats favored forgiving the entire amount. Other members, however, felt that such action would set a dangerous precedent since other schools also have outstanding financial obligations owed to the Board. Member Steve Wedge proposed the compromise that was finally agreed upon.
