A Busy Start to the School Year — THIS NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION
We are just one week into the school year and already time seems to fly. In the blink of an eye we watch our children grow so fast. As parents of our BEA students — now is the time to pay attention to district plans. We encourage you to take a couple minutes to watch this video about the November 5 facilities referendum.
New funding to improve school facilities is up for a vote this fall. The school district is holding a one-question referendum to increase revenue to build a new PreK–6 grade elementary school and complete needed updates at the high school.
Getting to the point of putting a question on the ballot involved considerable work and input from numerous groups and individuals.
A facility assessment was conducted by building experts and engineers, which provided a deep understanding of the condition of our buildings and identified when and where investments will be needed. This study showed that it was not financially wise to put more money into the current PK-7 building.
An educational adequacy and capacity study was also conducted. This report highlighted the space challenges and insufficiencies at the PK-7 building. The study also noted the excess space at the high school, specifically in the library where the computer labs used to be. This opened the door to considering the educational needs of our 7th grade students and the value of them being at the high school.
The District is working hard to ensure all voters have factual information. Over the course of the next 8-10 weeks, there will be numerous opportunities to learn about the proposed plan, costs, and tax impact to residents. We will have informational meetings, open houses, display boards, mailers, videos and more.
To learn more, visit our webpage dedicated to referendum information at www.beaschools.org/page/referendum-information.