RAPID CITY, SD — Following the release of a survey conducted by Rapid City Area Schools, the Board of Education has released a statement in response to community feedback.
These results come after a month-long submission period in which nearly 5,500 participants submitted responses in regards to facility needs and a planned 125 Million Dollar bond, which would fund updates to existing facilities and the construction of new ones as part of what the district has been calling a “Master Plan”. 58% of individuals supported the bond and the district was rated 5.45 out of 10 on average.
At the meeting of the board of education on tuesday, board member Katy Urban made a statement reflecting what she stated was the consensus of the board as a whole:
“Just in our community, the need to address large scale facility challenges in Rapid City Area Schools is no surprise. Many of our schools were built in the 1950s and 60s during a time of tremendous growth– since that time, the district has worked hard to maintain those buildings and has invested in new schools with district funds.
Still, our facility needs continue to grow, and educational programming has changed significantly. That’s why last year, the board hired Co-Op architecture to conduct a comprehensive facility study and develop a master plan. That plan was unveiled last spring, and since then, the board has reviewed it carefully and sought additional community feedback, and now we are ready to move forward.
In South Dakota, large scale facility projects are funded through bond referendums, while the district has built up its capital outlay fund. Those dollars alone cannot cover the most pressing projects in a timely way. With that in mind, the board intends to ask the community to support a bond.
If approved, will address the district’s most urgent safety and security needs, upgrade HVAC systems in numerous buildings, preserve neighborhood elementary schools, and fund the construction of a new elementary school. This request that we’re considering is about 15% lower than our initial proposal. We reduced that amount after hearing concerns from community members about the cost, so we are still working to keep the critical needs in focus, but again, be responsive to the people in our community who took the survey.
In the months ahead, we will focus on educating the community about our facilities, the specifics of this proposal and its impact on students, staff and families. We look forward to welcoming community members on school tours, hosting informational sessions and continuing this conversation. The board will vote next month to place the measure on the June ballot. With that, a detailed bond plan will be shared. We are grateful to the many people who shared input during this process, we’re excited to take the next step.
Our students and staff deserve facilities that meet their needs and reflect the pride that this community has in its schools”.