By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
NICKERSON, Kan. — No action was taken by the Nickerson USD 309 School Board in connection with another bond proposal for the district. But the board did discuss the matter Monday night. Superintendent Curtis Nightingale says the board looked over some rough prices of things that the district feels is needed. And now those numbers are being studied.
"I have a facilities committee and we just need to look over those numbers and try to see if we can come up with a plan that makes sense for us,” Nightingale said. “Moving forward then, as a board, we’ll need to take a look at that and determine if they're comfortable at what type of price point and then consider maybe moving forward with action and moving on to a bond process.”
The contractor, McCownGordon, presented some of the rough numbers Monday night, which was preluded by a tour of the facilities during the fall.
“We brought that consulting firm in with our administrators and facilities managers and walked through all of our buildings,” Nightingale said. “That company went through and put prices to all of that stuff, and so that will be our next hurdle.”
While no action was taken, Nightingale says they hope to have a more direct discussion about bringing a bond proposal back to the public during the February meeting.
“Hopefully my committee will be ready to make a proposal or make a recommendation to the board based on what they see as priorities for the district,” Nightingale said. “At that point we’ll all put our heads together and see if we can come to some sort of compromise based on where we think the district's needs are.”
After the division the last bond issue generated within the board and district patrons, Nightingale says this will be an all-in effort by the board or no proposal will be presented.
“We’re either going to be seven and oh in favor of one proposal or we’ll do nothing," Nightingale said. “I have no interest in taking a divided board into the public again. I know that they did that and it didn’t go well and they’ve got a bad taste in their mouth still over that.”
Nightingale says everyone will have to get behind the proposal if they want it to have any chance of passing. Nightingale could not give a rough price on what a bond could be but did say the district's facility needs are great.
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