Residents in the Mehlville School District could decide next April whether or not to fund facility upgrades, after the Board of Education passed on placing it on the bal- lot for November.
The board is slated Jan. 21 to consider a $35 million measure with a 12-cent no-tax-rate-increase general-obligation bond issue. Under the plan weighed by the board, 12 cents of the 45 cents currently being levied from the Proposition P tax-rate increase approved in 2000 would go toward funding $35 million in facilities improvements around the district, while the remainder of the 45 cents will go into the district’s operations fund.
The consideration of the bond issue for the ballot is the culmination of a multi-year process to review the district’s facilities and recommend upgrades.
Since January 2019, a Facilities Steering Committee made up of nearly 40 parents, teachers and district residents began tour- ing 18 of the district’s 19 schools — all except the Witzel Learning Center — to prioritize future facility needs using those tours and surveys of teachers, parents and students from each school.
The group identified more than $237 million in projects, although many were “wants” rather than needs, Superintendent Chris Gaines told the board.
The list was eventually narrowed to $35 million of needs, with priority projects falling to the areas of safety, HVAC, roofing, restrooms, parking and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, among other improvements.
In presentations made to the board in the months before their vote, Gaines outlined the breakdown of the nearly $35 million in priority projects, the bulk of which centered around safety upgrades at $11.6 million.
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Other priority projects identified include $7.3 million in HVAC upgrades, $5.6 million in “other,” $2.8 million in restrooms, $2.7 million in roofing, $1.9 million in ADA compliance, $900,000 in parking upgrades and $2.2 million in contingency funds for projects awaiting estimates.
An additional $5.5 million from the Proposition R, Proposition A and Capital 410 funds will also be used.
Below is a list of needs identified at each of the district’s facilities toured by the Facilities Steering Committee:
• Beasley Elementary School, 3131 Koch Road — Secure entry vestibule, four restroom fixtures to bring it into ADA compliance, outdoor lighting, additional restrooms, additional parking, roof work, HVAC work and widening the entry road to the school.
• Bernard Middle School, 1054 Forder Road — Secure entry vestibule and outdoor lighting.
• Bierbaum Elementary School, 2050 Union Road — Secure entry vestibule, an ADA-compliant entry to the library and four classrooms, ADA accessibility for theboys’ restroom and office, outdoor lighting, additional parking, HVAC work and perimeter fencing.
• Blades Elementary School, 5140 Patterson Road — Secure entry vestibule, outdoor lighting, roof work and HVAC work.
• Buerkle Middle School, 623 Buckley Road — Secure entry vestibule, restroom upgrades to make them ADA compliant, additional restrooms, outdoor lighting, making the track ADA accessible and roof work.
• Forder Elementary School, 623 Ripa Ave. — Secure entry vestibule, outdoor lighting, a gate for the playground, roof work and HVAC work.
• Hagemann Elementary School, 6401 Hagemann Road — Secure entry vestibule, making the playground ADA accessible and a second site entrance and exit.
• John Cary Early Childhood Center, 3155 Koch Road — Secure entry vestibule, upgrading restrooms to be more ADA compliant and HVAC work.
• Mehlville High School, 3200 Lemay Ferry Road — Secure entry vestibule, ADA compliance in the band hall, stadium restrooms, parking improvements, roof work, baseball/softball field safety upgrade and HVAC work.
• Mosaic Elementary School, 3701 Will Ave. — Secure entry vestibule and elevator.
• Oakville Elementary School, 2911 Yaeger Road — Secure entry vestibule, ADA upgrades to restrooms, HVAC work and expanded parking with new property.
• Oakville High School, 5557 Milburn Road — Secure entry vestibule, parking improvements, stadium toilet upgrades, overall ADA upgrades, restroom updates, roof work, HVAC work and baseball/softball field safety upgrade.
• Oakville Middle School, 5950 Telegraph Road — Secure entry vestibule, bathroom changing station, outdoor lighting, roof work and HVAC work.
• Point Elementary School, 6790 Telegraph Road — Secure entry vestibule, roof work, HVAC work and ADA exit ramp.
• Rogers Elementary School, 7700 Fine Road — Secure entry vestibule, playground/parking safety and HVAC work.
• Trautwein Elementary School, 5011 Ambs Road — Secure entry vestibule, outdoor lighting, roof work and parking/ driveway improvements.
• Washington Middle School, 5165 Ambs Road — Secure entry vestibule, outdoor lighting, roof work and ADA upgrades.
• Wohlwend Elementary School, 5966 Telegraph Road — Secure entry vestibule, ADA upgrades, outdoor lighting and roof work.
• Central Office/Witzel Learning Center/Transportation facility (all next to Mehlville High School) — 15,000-square-foot transportation building, pool roof work, pool structure repair and HVAC and window work at Central Office.
