Geary Bond Issue to be on Ballot this Tuesday

Voters in the Geary School District will be deciding on a $30 million bond issue during next Tuesday's runoff election. Early voting begins Thursday and runs through Saturday.

Voters must go to their respective precincts to vote on Tuesday.

The district is in Blaine and Canadian counties.

Geary School Supt. Sean Buchanan said the $30.72 million bond issue, if approved, will enable construction of a completely new campus. 'That amount would be the maximum we could spend, but we wouldn't use that amount if we don't need it,' he noted.

'It will never be more than that, but it could be less,' Buchanan said.

He acknowledged the $30.72 million bond issue will mean a 54.67 percent increase in property taxes. 'That means if a property owner's taxes were $100, they will be $154 with passage of the bond issue,' he said.

The ad valorem tax bond issue requires 60 percent approval of those voting on the proposition in the election.

'We will build a whole new campus, Pre-K through 12th grade. The estimated time of construction we've been given is 16 months.

'It includes a new high school, middle school, elementary school, a place for physical education, cafeteria, library and computer labs,' the superintendent explained.

He noted students must walk a block and a half for PE classes now.

Buchanan said the district's enrollment is about 300 students. He commented, 'Many in our community support the idea because we've held eight different community meetings on this.'

He believes, 'If we didn't invest in our schools, possibly our schools could close, and this district would be absorbed by another.'

He emphasized, 'Three things really stand out when I talk to our people about this.

'First, we have researched this extensively. If we built this facility the Blaine County property owners would pay higher taxes, but not as high as if this district were absorbed by Watonga. Hinton's millage rate is higher, so is Hydro-Eakley's district.

"If our schools did close, our millage rate would be higher. If they closed, Watonga doesn't have space for 300 new students. Watonga's millage rate is $129," Buchanan said.

He stressed, "This could get really expensive. Our millage rate would still be lower even with the bond 

issue passing. Passing a bond issue is cheaper than doing nothing.'

The second point he visits with people about is, 'Our current schools have no storm shelters. Safety is a huge aspect to this,' he said he tells people.

He indicated that is because, 'It will make it dramatically safer because of what all is included in the bond proposal. Our PE facility will be just down the hallway, not a block and a half away.'

Buchanan, in addressing the third point, describes the bond proposal as 'the most efficient option.'

The superintendent said, 'Currently, our campus is more than 200,000 square feet. We are heating, cooling, and lighting that much space. We have water and sewer lines throughout that space that we have to repair.'

He said the new campus would be 68,000 square feet, one third of the current size, emphasizing, 'It will contain all the footage we need. We will have the number of classrooms and offices we need,' Buchanan believes, 'Our buildings can't provide the efficiency that's needed. We can't get enough electricity out of these buildings. One campus was built in the late 50's and one in the late 60's. Basically, they are over 60 years old.'

Buchanan said his answer to people who inquire why don't school officials just renovate what they have now, is 'because it's substantially more expensive to renovate the present buildings than to build a new campus. It's cheaper to build the campus at one time.'