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.
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