Bellevue school board moves forward in pursuit of new school

BELLEVUE, Iowa — Bellevue Community School Board members agreed this week to move forward in their pursuit of building a new elementary school.

Board members voted unanimously to hire Legat Architects, of Moline., Ill., for $15,000 to design a floor plan.

In recent months, school leaders and members of the public have discussed the future of the current elementary school, a 169-year-old structure that is the oldest operating school in Iowa.

Board members said the aging structure continues to be plagued by issues and impacts staff’s ability to deliver quality education.

“Every month, there’s something else that is breaking down,” said Board Member Mike Reed. “It’s just causing too many problems.”

District Superintendent Tom Meyer said those issues include a deteriorating third floor and roof, an old boiler and rusting window frames.

“A lot of people don’t realize how old the school actually is,” Meyer said. “It’s been around forever, and it’s definitely showing its age.”

Meyer said the early estimated cost for a new elementary school would be around $15 million. If a bond of that size was approved by voters, residents in the district would see an annual property tax increase of about $4.05 per $1,000 in assessed value, according to estimates. (full article)

BY JOHN KRUSE john.kruse@thmedia.com

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