KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly will decide next week whether to put a measure on the ballot this fall asking voters if 76-million dollars in bonds should be authorized to fund renovation and an addition to Kodiak High School. District officials have updated the assembly and the school board on numerous occasions, and are urging interested residents attend the assembly meeting to voice their opinion during the scheduled public hearing.
On KMXT’s Talk of the Rock yesterday, District Director of Operations Scott Williams described how this year’s plan for the high school is different than last year’s.
— (School Bond 1 45 sec "Quite a bit is different … vocational facility.")
He said if the renovations are done without the addition, there’d still be overcrowding because the school has about 300 more students than the 500 it was designed to hold.
— (School Bond 2 31 sec "As the students have grown … way too small.")
Kodiak High Principal Bill Watkins said the preliminary designs for the new classroom wing would definitely cut down on problems students have getting from one class to another on time, as demonstrated in a movie made by students last year.
— (School Bond 3 35 sec "As they’ve placed … classroom to another.")
Williams and Watkins were joined on Talk of the Rock by Superintendent Stewart McDonald. He said he always gives what he calls the "worst case scenario," in terms of cost when presenting the project. He said he does that so as not to be seen as low-balling the estimate.
— (School Bond 4 58 sec "That’s a tough one. … will be what it is.")
The State of Alaska will reimburse the borough for 60 to 70 percent of the cost of the project. If it were to cost 76-million dollars, the cost to the borough would be about 26-million, with the rest picked up by the state.
The assembly will hold a public hearing on August 6th before voting whether to authorize placement of a bond package on this year’s municipal election ballot in October.
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