Johnston School Board Sets Bond Amount at $51 Million for Proposed New High School

The magic number came out to be $51 million.

That's the amount Johnston school district residents could be asked to approve in a bond referendum to pay for construction of .

First, the district must collect 524 signatures on a petition by July in order to hold the special election on Sept. 11.

The  on Monday approved the petition language that sets the bond amount not to exceed $51 million.

The bonded amount would represent about a 99-cent increase per $1,000 of property taxes.

The total project, which includes a new high school and repurposing the current high school, middle school and Wallace Elementary, is estimated to cost $122.3 million. The majority of the project cost will be funded through PPEL and sales tax revenue.

Monday's board discussion surrounded whether the bond petition should be for $51 million or $53 million. Once the amount is set in the petition language and signatures are received, it cannot be changed.

Board members discussed how $53 million would add extra cushion should changes occur to interest rates, construction material costs and taxable valuations.

The $53 million could also provide extra cushion if the district should choose to build a 1,200-seat auditorium at the new high school. The current proposal includes a 900-seat auditorium, 300 more seats would create the need for an estimated additional $1.7 million.

Superintendent Clay Guthmiller said the $51 million estimate had roughly $6 million of cushion worked in.

"Will that be enough?," he asked. "I just don't know. The estimates we used are conservative."

Board member John Dutcher said the board needs to take the community's pulse when it comes to a preference on the auditorium.

"Those are make or break things for some people," he said.

Schematic plans for the new high school should be completed by the end of July or early August.

Ultimately the board approved the $51 million bond referendum petition language 5 to 1. Board member Jill Morrill dissented, while board member Deb Henry was absent.

Guthmiller said district staff would have a meeting to discuss the petition and how to get collect signatures from voters.

"Now the work begins," he said.