Frequently Asked Questions - Bond Issue

Is the new gym the driving force behind this bond issue?
The driving force for this bond issue proposal is not the gym, it is the need for updated science classrooms at the
Junior/Senior High. When we look at our physical complex, we are landlocked with very few options for future
expansion. There are some options available, but when we considered all of the options and what we thought was best
long term was more important than what was the least expensive and easiest option now. For that reason, our facilities
master plan calls for putting classrooms in the old high school gymnasium. Wamegos old gym was almost identical to
ours, and they were able to put six classrooms on the bottom floor and they put a new library on the top floor. Our
proposed plan calls for general classrooms along with science classrooms and science labs. Once we convert the old
high school gym into classrooms, we do feel there is a need for another gym/activity center on the Junior/Senior High
campus.
There are two other major benefits to building the proposed Activity Center/Gymnasium. The new proposed Activity
Center would allow us to hold two practices at the same time so that student athletes could be finished with practices
around 6:00 pm instead of 8:30 or 9:00 which is sometimes the case now during basketball season. This would allow the
student athletes to spend more time with their families, be more involved in the community, and spend more time with
their studies. The second major benefit would involve the community. The current design of the Activity
Center/Gymnasium includes a walking track that could be utilized by district patrons from time to time. We also hope to
find ways that Marysville Parks and Recreation can use the facility to promote an active lifestyle within our community.

Why cant we just remodel the science classrooms and leave them in the current locations?
This is a good question and we have considered this option, however from a safety perspective these rooms are not large
enough.
The current Chemistry Room which includes classroom space and lab space is about 1080 square feet and the Chemistry
Storage Room is about 200 square feet. The current Biology Room is about 920 square feet and the Biology Storage
Room is about 150 square feet.
The current recommendations for science classrooms and storage areas are primarily focused on student safety and they
are listed below.
Chemistry Lecture Classroom 800 square feet
Chemistry Lab Classroom 1080 square feet
Chemistry Lecture/Lab Classroom 1440 square feet
Chemistry Prep/Storage 300 square feet
Chemistry Chemicals/Flammables Storage 90 square feet

Biology Lecture Classroom 800 square feet

Biology Lab Classroom 1080 square feet
Biology Lecture/Lab Classroom 1440 square feet
Biology Prep/Storage 320 square feet
The design that we are considering would include lab classrooms that are separate from lecture classrooms for added
safety. As you can see, the current space does not meet the recommended standards for science classrooms and labs.

Why is this proposed project so expensive? The costs for the individual projects seem to be extremely high.
The projected costs for this proposed bond issue were provided by our architect who worked on a recent project at
Wamego High School which was built around the same time as our high school. His projected costs include allowances
for unforeseen conditions that could arise during construction. These allowances also known as contingencies are a
significant part of the overall budget for the project. It is very likely that the total cost of construction will be less than
expected, but these allowances are necessary for us to make sure that we can complete the intended projects in the bond
issue proposal.
We considered two options when we prepared our first informational brochure that included costs per project. One option
was to list the allowances or contingencies and all other fees separately at the bottom of the page and show the costs of
the individual projects to be lower. The other option was to divide the architectural and engineering fees and the
contingencies among all of the projects. We chose the second option because we wanted to be as transparent as
possible with the public. We felt that if we showed a significant amount of money for fees and contingencies that the
public would feel that we were hiding something.
If the bond issue passes and if there are excess funds remaining once the construction is completed, the Board will have
two options. They could either enhance the projects described in the bond question or they could use the funds to retire
debt. I would expect the Board to seek community input before making a final decision. The proceeds from this bond
issue can only be used for projects described in the ballot question or to retire debt.

Wouldnt it be cheaper to purchase some land outside of town and build a new school rather than renovating
the buildings that we have?
According to our architect the answer would be no. We have discussed this idea on multiple occasions and we are relying
on the advice of our architect. We have tried to look for information on recent new construction costs for high schools in
Kansas. We came up with two comparable school districts. Iola recently rejected a bond issue to build a new high school
that had a price tag of $23,750,000 and Circle School District passed a bond issue in 2013 to build a new high school with
a price tag of almost $31,000,000.
We believe there is a strong connection between the community and our current buildings that we are not prepared to
break. The Junior/Senior High Complex is on the National Register of Historic Places, and we dont feel like we can walk
away from that building.
We also believe that the businesses in Marysville benefit greatly from having the schools within the city limits.

Why dont we consolidate with another school district in the area?

First, another district in the area would also have to be interested in consolidating and right now, and we dont believe
there are any other districts in the area who are interested. We also dont believe that the state will force districts to
consolidate anytime in the near future. This is such a controversial topic and we dont think there is enough political push
to make this happen.
What we see in the future is a situation similar to Vermillion. In Vermillion, they still operate two separate school districts
in Frankfort and Centralia, but one superintendent and one central office serve both communities. This is the most likely
scenario that would impact Marysville schools rather than a forced or voluntary consolidation which would require a new
high school somewhere in the county.
We also think it is important to the economic future of Marysville to keep Marysville Junior/Senior High alive and well.

Can the district afford to do this? If we add square footage in the district it will cost more for utilities and in
other costs such as custodians.

The proposed bond issue will likely lead to increased expenses relate to utilities and custodial personnel, but the
proposed bond issue will also take some pressure off of the Capital Outlay Fund. We believe that by relieving the
pressure on the Capital Outlay Fund the savings in this fund will balance out the increased expenses.
The proposed bond issue will address the windows at the High School which should lead to reduced energy bills because
the new windows will be more energy efficient. The bond issue will address the plumbing and the restrooms at the
Junior/Senior High which should mean fewer repairs that need to be paid out of Capital Outlay. The walls, floors, and
ceilings need to be addressed at both buildings, the proposed plan would address these areas using bond funds. If the
bond does not pass, these expenses will have to be paid using Capital Outlay Funds. The bond proposal addresses
some other maintenance expenditures such as groundwater and drainage around the buildings which is causing some
problems inside the buildings. Once again, these projects will have to be paid out of bond funds or the Capital Outlay
Fund. The proposed bond issue will also address some issues with the electrical system and other building systems
which will allow us to use our Capital Outlay Funds for other purposes.

Last year, the district had to cut staff and even had the students eating lunch in the dark, why did that happen
and what can the district do to prevent this in the future?
The district is facing tough financial times for two reasons. One, the state of Kansas is not funding schools at a
constitutional level. The courts have at least twice ruled in favor of the schools (plaintiffs) in the Gannon lawsuit related to
school funding. The case will be back in front of the State Supreme Court later this year to listen to arguments about the
equity portion of the lawsuit, and they will hear arguments related to adequacy in spring 2016. If the State Supreme Court
agrees with the lower court ruling, we would see an increase in funding of approximately $550,000 per year. This
increase in funding would more than cover any of the budget cuts that were implemented in the past year.
The second reason that the district is facing tough financial times is that some difficult decisions have been postponed
instead of being made. We feel that this can mostly be attributed to the multiple changes in leadership that the district has
experienced over the past few years. We feel that many of the difficult decisions that the district has made in the past
year could have been made earlier. If these decisions had been made earlier, the overall budget would likely be in a
better position right now.

Do we really need the new gym/activity center? We already have three gyms in our community.
Yes, we have three gyms in town, but there are problems with two of these gyms. The third gym, the new one, at the
Junior High is now 52 years old.
The old high school gym is dangerous in our opinion. Student-athletes have been injured in this gym and there have also
been many close calls. Many of the officials who officiate basketball games in this gym do not like to work in this
gym. The gym itself is seldom used outside of sub-varsity basketball games and volleyball practices. We feel that
everyone plays timid in this gym because they know that they could be injured. We want our kids to play hard and
practice hard so that they can be their best. The locker rooms are rarely used, even for visiting teams because they are
so small. The visiting teams often choose to use classrooms instead of the locker room space. We are concerned about
the concrete steps that make up the bleachers because the height of the steps is much higher than the typical height of
steps. We are also concerned for the safety of our fans and the fan experience especially when many families have kids
playing in both gyms at the same time. The gym is not used for basketball practices because of the size of the gym and
the lack of basketball goals. We feel that it is time for this space to be used for something instead of a gymnasium.
The gym at the elementary school also has its challenges. A few years back a player from Chapman was injured running
into the stage area on the side of the gym. The coach pulled his team off the floor and refused to continue playing there
because of safety concerns. There are six goals in this gym which makes it better for practices, but there is still the
concern about the overall size of the gym. There are no locker rooms at the Elementary School so if we do play games in
this gym, the teams have to use classrooms as dressing rooms and for halftime. There is no concession stand for the
fans who come to the game and parking is a challenge. We are also concerned about supervision when we have games
going on at two different locations.

What types of safety and security measures are included in this bond issue? We will never be able to keep our
students totally safe so why spend a lot of money trying to do this?
This bond issue proposal focuses mostly on improving the storm shelters in each building. We have concerns about the
storm shelter spaces at both buildings and we believe that improvements are needed. The bond issue proposal also
addresses some safety concerns on the stage at the High School Auditorium. The riggings are original to the building that
was constructed in 1938 and the architect is concerned about them. The remainder of the budget in this category is
focused on improving the fire and smoke alarm systems and making sure that the buildings meeting current building
codes and ADA requirements.
We do think it is important to keep our kids safe and there are things that we would like to do in the future to improve the
safety and security of our students and staff. Our elementary students are still going to go outside for recess and our
junior/senior high students are still going to go outside for physical education and athletic practices. We have listened to
the patrons in the district and we have not included any access control devices in this bond issue proposal.