NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan. — Pretty Prairie USD 311 is a little more than two months away from voting again on a bond issue after one was defeated in September.
"It's just under $8 million, $7.7 million, it will be an 18 mill increase," said USD 311 Superintendent Ashley Anderson. "We are trying to do some secured entrances at all of the buildings. We're doing windows and roofs on all of the school buildings. Also, we're looking at ventilation issues in our science lab and our ag shop, as well as some electrical upgrades in both of those. The big ticket is remodeling our middle school gym to replace our current high school competition gym."
This is less expensive than the previous bond attempt.
"We went back to the drawing board this time to reduce that price tag," Anderson said. "We're using a lot more of our space, just remodeling it, which is cheaper than the new construction. That's how we've tried to save some money this time around."
The current gym has some deficiencies that the Board and Anderson agree need to be addressed.
"We have a restraining line," Anderson said. "We have a very narrow court and so we have a restraining line, but we also have concrete bleachers on both sides. We have concrete steps that are just inches from that restraining line. It's always just, every game, every night, you're just like, oh, please, no one fall into those or anything like that. There's some safety concerns. The other thing is, ADA compliance is a concern. We don't have anywhere for wheelchair bound fans to sit, handrails are another issue, you know, just things like that."
USD 311 patrons will vote on the bond on May 16.
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