Referendum or Not? Ankeny School Board to Hear Options for Completing Southview

Per its request, the Ankeny school board will hear some different ideas tonight on how to complete the construction of Southview Middle School without putting a $15.6 million referendum before district voters.

The board was supposed to decide Oct. 3 whether it wanted to pursue a February 2012 referendum to complete Southview, but instead tabled the decision. They asked Superintendent Matthew Wendt and district Chief Financial Officer Craig Hansel to bring them alternative options to keep phase two of the project off the ballot.

Wendt said there was a consensus between the seven board members to review how the project will be financed.

“We learned (the district) does not have board support to move forward with a referendum,” Wendt said. “No board member said they believed the community is likely to pass a referendum in February.”

The board received an update on the district’s facilities plan at its last meeting, which included the current status of construction on several projects, as well as projects the board will need to consider in the coming months.

The completion of Southview Middle School is part of the already board-approved district facilities plan, Wendt said. A February 2012 referendum is required to ensure the completion of construction by August 2013.

If the board decides to support a February referendum, the completion of Southview is the only project contained in the current language of the possible referendum. It also is included in the district’s tax rate projections through 2016.

Board members must also obtain a petition signed by the equivalent to 25 percent of the total number of votes cast in the Sept. 13 election. Almost 7,000 people voted in last month’s election.

If the board decides it does not want to pursue a referendum, Wendt said officials will need to know tonight what it will support.

“If we don’t have a referendum in February, (completing the facilities plan) will require a different approach,” Wendt said. “We will have to decide which projects we move forward with and which ones we delay.

“Without the referendum, the district cannot financially afford all the projects previously determined to be a priority.”

The board also to overhaul ’s practice fields, a vote that could turn the fields into suitable competition venues for the school.

The board is expected to revisit this project at tonight’s meeting.

At tonight’s meeting, the board will also:

• Set the date for a public hearing to complete phase three of renovations.

• Consider the doubling of Ankeny girls' junior varsity basketball with varsity.