JOHNSON- The Johnson-Brock School Board approved a $2.3 million construction project Monday to build four new classrooms connected to the elementary wing in Johnson.

The action came after public reaction to a proposed $3.3 million project that included moving the music department to the existing weight room and building a new weight room connected to the gymnasium.

 

 

Superintendent Jeff Koehler said the new classrooms are needed, not because of the number of students, but because of  the number of programs the school wants to offer.

Koehler: “We hired a new Spanish teacher that is going to take a fulltime classroom now. We hired an additional science teacher that is going to allow us to teach more FFA classes and more science classes – that took another classroom.”

The school will move forward with a bid from AHRS Construction of Bern, Kan., to build pre-school, kindergarten and speech therapy classrooms in the “lower elementary” addition.

Koehler: “Those classrooms are going to free up two classrooms that we have in our high school. We’re getting our pre-school out of our high school/middle school part and they are going to be in their own kind of wing down here.”

The weight room was part of a $100,000 architectural concept, but board member Keith Bohling said the district might get more space at less cost by using a steel building design.

 

Keith Bohling: “I’m saying it’s not big enough. His budget … we came in too high for the budget to what we were told. Now I’m told we need more space. I’m trying to get more space at a bigger bang for the buck.”

 

 Several spoke during a citizen comment time including Denise Rathbone.

Rathbone: “My question is, if you’re all so sure that the taxpayers in this district want this, why weren’t there any public meetings? Why wasn’t it put out there before it was nearly a done deal?”

 

She said she is still waiting for the school to comply with her request for the school board to produce meeting minutes showing a vote was taken before the board went out for bids.

Koehler said $2.2 million at an Interest rates at 4.3 percent is $389,500 for seven years. That’s an increase of 2.3 cents on the tax levy.

Board member Blayne Behrends suggested taking the architect’s $3.3 million project to a public vote, but school officials said it is important to teachers that the school show momentum for the classroom space now.