A ‘Quick’ Bit of News
A column by Steve Quick
Harney County School District No. 3 Superintendent

Two years ago, the district received grants from the state that allowed us to thoroughly assess our facilities and create a long-range facility plan. The district has used this assessment, the long-range plan, and the strategic plan that was developed to help decide what is needed to keep our facilities fully functional, while also meeting future program needs.

The number one priority that the bond will focus on will be deferred maintenance items — items that we’ve maintained over the years, but are simply wearing out (such as roofs, indoor and outdoor lighting, ceilings, flooring, HVAC systems, windows, and painting) — and general maintenance items that are slowly losing both their functional and aesthetic value. Some items are in better shape than others, but with the age of the facilities, many items are in desperate need of attention.

Another major concern that is being addressed with this bond is that of security and safety. Entryways and system controls are desperately needed to make our schools safer for our students. A lot has changed in the last 60-90 years since our schools were built, and our entryways do not meet modern standards for keeping our students and staff safe and secure. Entryways will be designed to be friendlier, yet more safe and secure, giving our staff more control of who comes and goes into our schools and the ability to lock doors throughout a building quickly, should the need arise.

Remodeling kitchens, classrooms, offices, and other gathering areas to last for many years to come is another main area of focus. When we sat down with staff and community members last spring, we considered additional items that we had not included in the original bond that was put together for the May election. We were able to add many items (like office space and additional space for moving students) that will help make the buildings more functional.

With our declining enrollment over the years, we decided strategically to consolidate the district school buildings down from three main facilities to two, reducing maintenance and operation costs while being able to strategically improve the learning conditions and program opportunities for our students. While many desire a brand new K-12 facility or new separate facilities, the board did not feel the exorbitant costs of building new could be justified or supported by the community. The board’s goal was to create a bond project that would not need to be revisited a few short years later, yet also be affordable. The board wants to make sure the project is done right. Building brand new facilities would have required a request of four to five times the current increase of 84 cents per thousand, and the board did not believe that would be acceptable to the community. Ultimately, we need to renovate our facilities, even though they were built well with solid cores and have been maintained well over the years.

While the idea of moving 7th and 8th grade may not initially be welcome to some, given our size, it makes a lot of sense while also providing more learning opportunities for these students. Moving 6th grade back to the elementary school will allow for more individual attention in that setting, while also allowing them to perhaps stay young a little longer. There are many K-6 and 7-12 schools in our state and in surrounding states. Certainly, there will be concerns about the age differences, but programs and procedures will be put into place to assure separation when necessary.

As we listened to staff and community, there also arose a need to improve gym spaces, parking, enhanced learning spaces, improved acoustics for band in both their practice and performance areas, as well as improving bathrooms, concessions, and practice and performance spaces.

For a complete overview of the bond proposal that includes many more details, stop by our district office or visit us online at www.hcsd3.org/bond2020