From the Crawfordsville Journal-Review:
...
When the results came in, an overwhelming majority voted yes, and the referendum passed 2,347-603.
“We’re so excited,” said Crawfordsville Community School Corp. Board of Education Secretary Susan Albrecht. “I was cautiously optimistic ... as we talked to people before the election there wasn’t much objection. We were hopeful.”
Still, the percentage by which the referendum passed surprised Albrecht. “I didn’t expect this big of a win,” she admitted. “We’re very pleased.”
...
The estimated cost for the proposed project at Tuttle would be somewhere between $26 and $35 million. The plan is to build a new, two-story, 47,000 square-foot structure along Chestnut Street in an open area south of the existing building. While that building is being constructed, students will continue to attend classes in the existing building. When it is completed, students will move into the new building and the existing building will be razed and rebuilt. The existing gym will be repurposed as a new cafeteria.
It is estimated that the project will be completed in about three-and-a-half years.
Several areas of Tuttle have water leaks. The aged roof has many areas of standing water, and leaks have caused the loss of $15,000 worth of library books just this year. There are cracks in the building’s exterior bricks. The school has glass window walls on all sides that are not insulated, making them dangerous and inefficient.
Tuttle has no computer labs and limited storage space, and wireless capability is limited. Parking is at a minimum.
The school’s plumbing is also in disrepair. Many of the buildings sinks, water lines, gas lines and sewer lines do not work. The showers in the boys’ locker room are not operational, and only one shower in the girls’ locker room is in working order.
...
Although the referendum refers to a tax increase, the referendum is essentially tax neutral.
The referendum will allow the school to finance the new school through the Crawfordsville Community School Corporation debt service fund that is part of the property tax bill. The current fund tax rate is $1.20 per $100 of net assessed value. Last year this fund had a tax rate of $1.23 per $100 of net assessed value.
The referendum will “wrap around” existing debt that will end in the near future when several previously financed projects, such as the new Crawfordsville High School building, are paid off. The tax rate will remain at the same level and decrease over time.
Over the twenty-year life of the referendum rate, the Debt Service Fund tax rate will continue to fall as other debt ends.
...
http://www.journalreview.com/news/article_9878b138-9974-11e1-ab1f-0019bb2963f4.html
