Here are some interesting facts and figures for you as they pertain to York Public Schools. All data is taken from the 2010-11 school year.
1) 134,525 student lunches were served
2) $1.26 was the tax levy for district patrons
3) $1,650,936 worth of scholarship money was earned by the Class of 2011
4) 468 college credits were earned in YHS classes by YHS students
5) Our activity buses traveled 51,613 miles
6) 64.4% of our teachers have their Masters' Degree
7) 18.6 years is the average amount of experience for our faculty
8) 78.6% of our students were proficient on the Statewide Reading Test (state averages was 71.9%)
GO DUKES!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
YHS Bond issue passes by wide margin
We had 1,610 voters voice their opinion on the $12.535 million bond issue for renovations and additions to York High School. The bond passed by a margin of 69% to 31% with 1,104 "yes" votes compared to 506 "no" votes.
Now that the bond issue has been approved, the project can move forward. Construction will address security and indoor air quality deficiencies, create a new classroom wing which will house band, vocal and instrumental music and art, a new secondary gym and a new district storage and administrative facility building on the existing high school site, upgrade technology infrastructure, and address many other issues.
The financing package calls for a 20-year repayment with bonds maturing each year from 2013 to 2031 with an estimated levy increase of 9.7 cents per $100 of taxable valuation.
We'd like to thank all of the people that took the time to vote with a special thanks to the active and retired military personnel that protect our right to vote. The bond issue committee of Jim Hoffmann, Annie Redfern, Mark Way, Amie Kopcho, Lisa Riley, and Angie and Allan Zumpfe really worked hard. They were supported by many other volunteers that helped with yard signs, building tours and much more. We know there were/are strong feelings on both sides of this issue and we hope that everyone can work together for the benefit of the York Duke community as we move forward with these construction plans.
We have a lot of responsibility and pressure to make sure that this project is done with the best interests of our students in mind. We will continue to re-work our budget to ensure that we are able to maintain our facilities over the coming years within our existing budget and levy parameters.
The board of education will look to interview construction companies in January with a construction manager to be hired in February. Tentative plans call for construction to begin in May, 2012, and end in October, 2013.
Now that the bond issue has been approved, the project can move forward. Construction will address security and indoor air quality deficiencies, create a new classroom wing which will house band, vocal and instrumental music and art, a new secondary gym and a new district storage and administrative facility building on the existing high school site, upgrade technology infrastructure, and address many other issues.
The financing package calls for a 20-year repayment with bonds maturing each year from 2013 to 2031 with an estimated levy increase of 9.7 cents per $100 of taxable valuation.
We'd like to thank all of the people that took the time to vote with a special thanks to the active and retired military personnel that protect our right to vote. The bond issue committee of Jim Hoffmann, Annie Redfern, Mark Way, Amie Kopcho, Lisa Riley, and Angie and Allan Zumpfe really worked hard. They were supported by many other volunteers that helped with yard signs, building tours and much more. We know there were/are strong feelings on both sides of this issue and we hope that everyone can work together for the benefit of the York Duke community as we move forward with these construction plans.
We have a lot of responsibility and pressure to make sure that this project is done with the best interests of our students in mind. We will continue to re-work our budget to ensure that we are able to maintain our facilities over the coming years within our existing budget and levy parameters.
The board of education will look to interview construction companies in January with a construction manager to be hired in February. Tentative plans call for construction to begin in May, 2012, and end in October, 2013.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Mock Trial @ York High School
On Tuesday, November 1st, the YHS Mock Trial team competed in its first event of the season. The team traveled to the Lancaster County courthouse in Lincoln to argue their case against the Norris Titans. The judge found in favor of the Dukes case starting the season off with a victory for the York team.
Mock Trial is a competitive event for high school students sponsored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation. It assists high school students interested in law to acquire valuable knowledge and skills. Participants role play a court room case. They play the parts of lawyers, witnesses and defendants before a real life judge.
The team looks forward to a great season. Last year's team qualified for state and ended their season with an 8th place finish in the state competition. This years state competition will be December 6th and 7th in Omaha.
Good luck to the Dukes!
Mock Trial is a competitive event for high school students sponsored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation. It assists high school students interested in law to acquire valuable knowledge and skills. Participants role play a court room case. They play the parts of lawyers, witnesses and defendants before a real life judge.
The team looks forward to a great season. Last year's team qualified for state and ended their season with an 8th place finish in the state competition. This years state competition will be December 6th and 7th in Omaha.
Good luck to the Dukes!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Grade Level Buddies
Every Tuesday morning York High School students from Mrs. Kohouts' speech class go to York Elementary to help the first graders become better readers and writers. Together they have read a story about a bird and created a bird feeder for birds that come to the tree by YES. Animal habitats were researched and dioramas were made to show their chosen animals habitat. These dioramas are on displayed in the YES media center. These lucky first graders look forward to their "older" friends coming each week. They are building good friendships.
Go Dukes!
Go Dukes!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Diversity Awareness at York High School
Eleven students from YHS attended a diversity leadership conference at Central Community College in Grand Island on October 17th. This conference aimed at developing leadership and a sense of community among students of diverse backgrounds. The conference had a profound influence on the students attending.
The key-note speaker for the event was a young man from Rwanda who had survived this atrocities of genocide and civil warfare in his native country. After many members of his family were killed, he escaped to the United States where he has rebuilt his life. His life story, while tragic, was an emotional testament to human triumph through endurance and perseverance.
After this inspiring key-note speech, the students attended various sessions on setting educational goals, preparing for college and various fields of employment. One of the highlights of the day was watching YHS Senior, Beatriz Martinez, receive the Youth Leadership Diversity Conference Educational Scholarship.
The students came back to school, excited about the possibility of starting a diversity club at YHS. At the conference, they learned what such clubs at other schools were doing to promote tolerance and put an end to prejudice. YHS students attending were: Carlos Grijalva, Kassie Munoz, Efrain Chavez, Fernando Sanchez, Alex Reyes, Andrea Grijalva, Norma Chavez, Beatriz Martinez, Itzel Cervantes, Barbara Young, and Susana Enriquez.
The key-note speaker for the event was a young man from Rwanda who had survived this atrocities of genocide and civil warfare in his native country. After many members of his family were killed, he escaped to the United States where he has rebuilt his life. His life story, while tragic, was an emotional testament to human triumph through endurance and perseverance.
After this inspiring key-note speech, the students attended various sessions on setting educational goals, preparing for college and various fields of employment. One of the highlights of the day was watching YHS Senior, Beatriz Martinez, receive the Youth Leadership Diversity Conference Educational Scholarship.
The students came back to school, excited about the possibility of starting a diversity club at YHS. At the conference, they learned what such clubs at other schools were doing to promote tolerance and put an end to prejudice. YHS students attending were: Carlos Grijalva, Kassie Munoz, Efrain Chavez, Fernando Sanchez, Alex Reyes, Andrea Grijalva, Norma Chavez, Beatriz Martinez, Itzel Cervantes, Barbara Young, and Susana Enriquez.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
YHS Bond Issue - "Did You Know...?"
YORK HIGH SCHOOL BOND ISSUE - Election Day is Nov. 15th but early voting has begun and you can vote during regular business hours at the courthouse Monday-Friday anytime between now and November 15th. On November 15th, you will vote at the City Auditorium if you live within the city limits. If you live outside the city limits, you will vote at the 4-H building on the fairgrounds.
• The proposed project of $12.535 million would allow for a major upgrade of almost $3 million to the electrical and mechanical capacities at YHS. Right now, we use a single-mode heating and cooling system that is very inefficient. The whole building is in either heating or cooling mode. If this bond passes, we would move towards a dual mode system where we could isolate specific areas like the auditorium to heat or cool only. This would save lots of energy and money on our utility bills.
• School Safety is a main component of this bond issue. The office complex would be moved to the south entrance of YHS and all other entry points would be locked and monitored after the school day begins. Visitors would have to get visual and verbal access to the building instead of being able to come and go whenever/wherever they want like they can now.
• The school district’s tax levy is currently $1.26 but was $1.29 two years ago. The school district has cut over $1.1 million in General Fund spending in the past two years so it can allocate money to take care of its facilities on a more regular basis.
• YHS has a very small and insufficient kitchen, food preparation, and serving area as meals are currently prepared at YMS and transported over daily. If this bond passes, the kitchen would be expanded to prepare more meals on site. This would help YPS pursue a modified closed campus approach where more students ate lunch at school on a regular basis.
• YHS is showing its age and the effects of being 36+ years old with no major renovations. Among numerous other things, this bond would allow the district to address numerous issues like handicapped accessibility and technology infrastructure.
• Art, band, and vocal music would get larger classrooms that are more conducive to small and large group work. The vocal and band rooms would also have much better acoustics and practice areas.
• The added gym would help cut back on 6 AM and 6 PM practices for our students. This would get our students home to their families at a more reasonable hour. It would also allow the school district to accommodate more youth and community activities that require a gym. With only three gyms in our district, all of them are currently booked with school, youth, and community events for most evenings for the next 18+ months.
• This project would improve lighting, windows, doors, and main entry ways all around the building. Natural light would be brought into the areas with no windows. Energy efficient doors, lights, and windows would help cut down on annual utility bills.
• If passed, this bond issue would add parking to our campus and an additional outlet to Delaware Avenue to help alleviate the bottleneck that is created daily along Duke Drive.
• If passed, this bond would raise taxes LESS than $97 per year per $100,000 of valuation.
• The proposed project of $12.535 million would allow for a major upgrade of almost $3 million to the electrical and mechanical capacities at YHS. Right now, we use a single-mode heating and cooling system that is very inefficient. The whole building is in either heating or cooling mode. If this bond passes, we would move towards a dual mode system where we could isolate specific areas like the auditorium to heat or cool only. This would save lots of energy and money on our utility bills.
• School Safety is a main component of this bond issue. The office complex would be moved to the south entrance of YHS and all other entry points would be locked and monitored after the school day begins. Visitors would have to get visual and verbal access to the building instead of being able to come and go whenever/wherever they want like they can now.
• The school district’s tax levy is currently $1.26 but was $1.29 two years ago. The school district has cut over $1.1 million in General Fund spending in the past two years so it can allocate money to take care of its facilities on a more regular basis.
• YHS has a very small and insufficient kitchen, food preparation, and serving area as meals are currently prepared at YMS and transported over daily. If this bond passes, the kitchen would be expanded to prepare more meals on site. This would help YPS pursue a modified closed campus approach where more students ate lunch at school on a regular basis.
• YHS is showing its age and the effects of being 36+ years old with no major renovations. Among numerous other things, this bond would allow the district to address numerous issues like handicapped accessibility and technology infrastructure.
• Art, band, and vocal music would get larger classrooms that are more conducive to small and large group work. The vocal and band rooms would also have much better acoustics and practice areas.
• The added gym would help cut back on 6 AM and 6 PM practices for our students. This would get our students home to their families at a more reasonable hour. It would also allow the school district to accommodate more youth and community activities that require a gym. With only three gyms in our district, all of them are currently booked with school, youth, and community events for most evenings for the next 18+ months.
• This project would improve lighting, windows, doors, and main entry ways all around the building. Natural light would be brought into the areas with no windows. Energy efficient doors, lights, and windows would help cut down on annual utility bills.
• If passed, this bond issue would add parking to our campus and an additional outlet to Delaware Avenue to help alleviate the bottleneck that is created daily along Duke Drive.
• If passed, this bond would raise taxes LESS than $97 per year per $100,000 of valuation.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
YHS Bond Issue Questions and Answers
“We built a brand new school (YMS) just a few years ago for $9.6 million. Why does it cost $12.535 million for the high school?”
- YMS is 77,640 sq feet and YHS is almost twice as large at over 125,000 sq feet
- Its construction cost revolved around $104.97 per square foot in 2005-06
- To put that in perspective, with updated construction costs, Seward Middle (108,232 square feet) is being built right now at a cost of $143.89 per square feet
- York High School’s proposed cost projections include:
* 24,648 square feet of additions @ $133.05 per square foot
* 125,380 square feet of renovations @ $59.42 per square foot
* 6,895 square feet of storage/admin office addition @ $85 per sq. foot
“How much would a brand new high school cost?”
- Architecture and construction cost projections are in the $30 million range
“Is this bond ‘all inclusive’ and allow for furniture, equipment, etc.?”
- The $12,535,000 allows for fixed equipment like cabinets and shelving but not for new, movable furniture like tables, chairs, etc.
“What would YPS do with the current administrative office out on North Delaware?”
- We would look to sell it and use the profits to help pay for our facility project.
“What is the tentative timeline for this project if the bond election is successful?”
- Construction would hopefully begin by May 2012 and conclude by September 2013
“How big would the fine arts addition of larger and better art, vocal music, and band rooms be to the auditorium?”
- Those additions would total about 12,000 square feet
“How large would the second gym be?”
- It would be about 12,000 square feet and would be wide enough to have cross courts
“Why look to add a gym now?”
- There are many, many more activities now than there were in the 1970’s
- This is more about YOUTH programs than it is about “just high school programs”
- With only 3 gyms in our district, youth programs have them full for the next 18+ months
- YPS also hosts adult activities and many community activities as well
- With an added gym, YPS would be able to limit the amount of early morning and late evening practices/activities thus giving our students more time to be at home with family, to work on homework, etc.
- With construction costs and interest rates like they are now, the decision was made to try and address all of the school district’s needs; not just some of them.
- This project would allow YPS to be in great shape for 25-30 years
- YMS is 77,640 sq feet and YHS is almost twice as large at over 125,000 sq feet
- Its construction cost revolved around $104.97 per square foot in 2005-06
- To put that in perspective, with updated construction costs, Seward Middle (108,232 square feet) is being built right now at a cost of $143.89 per square feet
- York High School’s proposed cost projections include:
* 24,648 square feet of additions @ $133.05 per square foot
* 125,380 square feet of renovations @ $59.42 per square foot
* 6,895 square feet of storage/admin office addition @ $85 per sq. foot
“How much would a brand new high school cost?”
- Architecture and construction cost projections are in the $30 million range
“Is this bond ‘all inclusive’ and allow for furniture, equipment, etc.?”
- The $12,535,000 allows for fixed equipment like cabinets and shelving but not for new, movable furniture like tables, chairs, etc.
“What would YPS do with the current administrative office out on North Delaware?”
- We would look to sell it and use the profits to help pay for our facility project.
“What is the tentative timeline for this project if the bond election is successful?”
- Construction would hopefully begin by May 2012 and conclude by September 2013
“How big would the fine arts addition of larger and better art, vocal music, and band rooms be to the auditorium?”
- Those additions would total about 12,000 square feet
“How large would the second gym be?”
- It would be about 12,000 square feet and would be wide enough to have cross courts
“Why look to add a gym now?”
- There are many, many more activities now than there were in the 1970’s
- This is more about YOUTH programs than it is about “just high school programs”
- With only 3 gyms in our district, youth programs have them full for the next 18+ months
- YPS also hosts adult activities and many community activities as well
- With an added gym, YPS would be able to limit the amount of early morning and late evening practices/activities thus giving our students more time to be at home with family, to work on homework, etc.
- With construction costs and interest rates like they are now, the decision was made to try and address all of the school district’s needs; not just some of them.
- This project would allow YPS to be in great shape for 25-30 years
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)