McPHERSON, Kan. — McPherson USD 418 Board of Education members Monday night got their first look at the costs that would be involved with a number of facility options a long range facility study committee has been reviewing. As it relates to McPherson High School, building a new high school, including a stadium, tennis courts and other facilities, would cost a little over $100 million. To renovate and remodel the existing high school including replacement of the existing “hex” areas would cost about half of new construction.
Overall, there are six options that have been discussed, all of which would reduce the number of elementary schools from the present four. Options are also offered that would reduce the number of elementary schools to two, and move 5th graders to the middle school with the idea of having 5th and 6th grades separated from 7th and 8th grade students.
Not all projects would have to be done at once.
Financing options were also presented, and if the board were to decide only to renovate the existing high school it could be done at no increase in the property tax levy as the district could be in a position to pay off the district’s only outstanding bond issue next fall.
Two community meetings will be held to gather input on what has been proposed to date. Both meetings, which are in a come and go format, will be on Wednesday, Oct 22, from 11-1 and 5-7 at the McPherson Museum.
Temporary drainage remediation for the McPherson High School Roundhouse could begin shortly. The USD 418 Board of Education Monday night approved proceeding with a proposal from McPherson Quality Air to put a temporary berm wall in place while development of permanent drainage options proceeds. At the request of board member Chelsea Busch, the motion is subject to clarification involving liability if the Roundhouse were to flood again after the temporary measures are completed.
The Board of Education approved an inter-agency agreement with the Transitional Learning Center, a partnership between the McPherson County Special Education Cooperative, the Reno County Education Cooperative and Hutchinson USD 308. It serves students whose emotional and behavioral support needs cannot be met in a traditional school setting. The Center is operated by RCEC with the McPherson County Cooperative and USD 308 contributing to its costs based on a funding formula set out in the agreement.
Two grants totaling just over $6,600 from the McPherson Education Foundation were announced during the meeting. One grant will be used to cover half of the costs for classroom Chromebook carts at McPherson Middle School for core and special education classes as it transitions away from a one-to-one device program, and the other is to purchase a set of classroom calculators for five middle school math teachers to see used in hands on learning for essential math skills.
The board also accepted donations for four buildings, including two for the McPherson High School Tennis program and one for the MHS Thespian Troupe. Gifts of a flight simulator and 3-D printer were accepted for McPherson Middle School, three gifts for Lincoln Elementary School, and two for Washington Elementary School.
