Bond issue vote on new school set for September

School Board members last night voted overwhelmingly in favor of holding a special election on a bond issue to fund construction of a new elementary school. The ballot is scheduled for Sept. 10, with notice of election to be published 40 days prior.

Total cost of the new school is set at $15,850,000. If passed by voters, the facility will be built on land donated by Cabela’s, on the east side of town adjacent to Fort Sidney Road near WNCC.

The need for updating the elementary structures in Sidney is a high priority for the school board. With outdated buildings and infrastructure, increasing repair costs, as well as a growing elementary population projected to rise again in the future, board members insist that the three elementary locations in Sidney need to be consolodated.

“It is not conducive to modern technology,” said schools superintendent Jay Ehler, referring to dated . “There are issues with maintenance and with them not being cutting edge for our students.” North Elementary opened in 1929.

With lower interest rates, the board argued that now is the right time to build. The school district is poised to begin work on the new facility should the population agree with the bond issue.

“If they're going to vote for a new elementary school. we will immediately begin with the design,” Ehler said. “Then we will start hiring architects and construction people. Right now we must wait and see what the voters of Sidney want.”

If the bond passes Superintendent Jay Ehler hopes to have the new location open for the 2015 academic calendar.

“The process for the new high school took around 22 months, but this would be a couple of school years,” Ehler explained.