NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Buhler USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman is working with the Board of Education on a process for another try at a bond issue, after an $8 million proposal was defeated by voters last month.
"We reflected on how we want to approach this and kind of brainstormed a list of projects that maybe would be supported that we've heard from people throughout the process," Couchman said. "Now, it's time to get feedback about what is out there that our voters support."
The plan is to look for that feedback shortly after school is out.
"We're going to get feedback from both our staff and our community in June," Couchman said. "We're going to look at maybe doing a Talk Tuesday and have some in person meetings. We have a survey to fill out, listing all of the projects that have come up over the course of the last few years. Obviously, Ad Astra is still a priority."
There may be more projects, there may be fewer, the amount of the bond is still to be determined, too.
"There's been some discussion at the board about the general election in November, which would be a pretty tight timeline again," Couchman said. "We're going to have our results back from our in person meetings and our survey late June. We hope to talk about that data in July at our board meeting, to then, perhaps, come up with a plan and say, this is what our community sees as a priority. Here's what, as a school district, we see as a priority. What could be supported in a bond and how much and all of those things. We would process that and probably have a special board meeting to do that work session in July. That would give us, maybe August to really decide what we are going to move forward with and we would need that decision in August or September to go forward with another bond at the general election."
The general election in November 2023 is also a school board election. Four positions on that board are up in November.
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