MVSD will “likely” ask voters to approve a bond levy in 2028 or early 2029 for facility improvements, Superintendent Grant Storey told the school board Oct. 9.
Storey did not indicate what improvements would be needed and said that would be up to a task force of community members and an architecture firm, King Architects, which specializes in reviewing school buildings for structural improvements. The architecture firm has already begun assessing the district’s buildings, including ILC, LBHS and MVE.
Former superintendent Tom Venable presented the possibility of a levy for facility improvements at a board meeting this past spring. On Thursday, Storey said this is a high priority.
“One of the items that I learned from the superintendent search process was the community’s interest and the need for a close look at facilities improvements and modernization. This continues to be one of my highest priorities and one of my most important charges,” Storey read in a prepared statement to the school board.
“First and foremost, this process will likely end with asking the community to support some sort of bond/levy proposal for facilities in 2028 or early 2029. The long lead time is necessary as we will need to engage in a proven phased approach that will allow us to build a plan that our community understands, supports, and trusts,” said Storey.
“Securing community support for school improvements is one of the most complex and high-stakes initiatives a district can face and we want to do this work right.”
Storey also told the school board, “The board will ultimately adopt and put forth a resolution around the proposal and then ultimately the adoption of the proposal resolution to seek bond or levy funding in the future.”
Storey stepped back from his statements after the board meeting, telling MVE it is not certain the district would go in that direction.
However, Storey mentioned a levy on more than one occasion in his presentation to the board. Storey outlined six phases, from appointing a task force to the wording of the proposal.
Phase 5, entitled, “Educating, Aligning and Building Confidence,” states, “Using draft recommendations of the facilities task force, the focus will shift to stakeholder education, feedback and refinement to ensure the final bond/levy proposal reflects community priorities.”
Phase 6, entitled “Final steps towards election readiness,” states, “We will work with proven professionals in this phase that can assist in communication strategies, legally compliant information campaigns, and the formation of a citizen led oversight committee. The ultimate goal is transparency, preparedness, and community trust so voters can make a choice, feeling engaged and informed.”
Storey’s written statement, obtained by MVE, added “if a bond or levy is indicated” to this last sentence, but Storey did not read that to the board.
Community members can apply to be on the task force. The superintendent or the school board will select the task force. The school board will choose from these two options at a later date. The task force will serve for at least two years and will consist of staff, parents, general community members and people with expertise in infrastructure projects. The task force will be formed in November or December with a start date in January.
Storey said he would create guardrails for the task force through a charter,
School board director Jennifer Zbyszewski responded, “Go slow to go fast, right?”
Storey responded, “Exactly.”
Zbyszewski responded, “Good.”
