North Campus Ground Breaking Ceremony
held June 27th, 2011
From a financial standpoint, Monday’s groundbreaking on a $12.2 million grade school construction project could be the most unique of its kind in the state today.
“That’s probably right,” Seneca Grade School treasurer and retired bank president Bill Steep said of the addition to replace the aging building constructed in 1942.
“The construction-remodelng project is probably the only school proposal being carried out today without a bond issue or tax increase,” he said.
The school district is utilizing existing fund balances to finance the renovation and construction costs of the project, which includes a 48,000-square-foot addition to the North Campus building.
Steep said the grade school has been operated well. Through the years, the various school boards have been very cooperative, and built up the reserve. Now that the district needs the money, it is there to be used.
“You don’t see that very often — to have something like that happen in this suppressed economy — and it is suppressed,” he said. “There are building bond issues that have failed, and it’s hard to get funding right now because you don’t find buyers. But we’re going into this with the cash well in hand, and it will be well spent.”
The addition will replace the portion of the building constructed in 1942, and an addition constructed in 1960. The remodeling project involves the portion built in 1976.
The 1942 middle and north portions of the building will be razed when the new addition is ready for occupancy. Which means the entire school then will be moved further to the east on the campus instead of the west edge as it is today.
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