A year ago, discussions started about the possibility of a school bond to address the facility needs required by the vision of the district. A committee was formed to get feedback on the best way to address these needs/wants. A committee was formed, made up of approximately 30 USD 254 community members. These parents, business leaders, and school staff met over the course of the 2018-19 school year. On October 18th, 2018, a needs assessment was conducted in both buildings. All staff met with the architects and expressed their needs and their ideas of possible solutions. The SITE council (Parent's Group) also completed a walkthrough and a needs assessment. This information was compiled and presented to the facility study committee. Over the next four months, the committee met five times, putting together a prioritized plan to address the issues that were identified by the needs assessment. A plan was put together and presented to the committee on January 22nd, 2019. After review with the team, some modifications were made to the plan and a public presentation dates were set. The plans were distributed to the paper and through social media. Information boards were created and posted at the USD 254 office, as well as at parent/teacher conferences and the PTO carnival. A survey was distributed through the USD 254 website and the facebook groups to get feedback on the priorities the committee identified and the recommended solutions. Over 200 surveys were completed. After this opportunity for public input the committee met once again to review the feedback and make necessary adjustments to the plan. The committee agreed on a plan and presented to the USD 254 Board of Education on May 7th, 2019. The Board approved a resolution to appeal to the state for a bond election to be held on November 5th, 2019.

PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE FACILITY STUDY:

1. New roof at each building

2. Renovate main building entrances to require visitors to check in through the office.

3. Storm shelters for both buildings.

4. More early childhood space to accommodate our increased focus on Kindergarten readiness.

5. Move the 6th grade to the Junior/Senior High to address space issues at MLGS and create a middle school identity at MLJSHS.

6. Add classroom space at MLJSHS to accommodate the 6th grade and to give Middle School and High School students their own areas of the building.

7. Additional cafeteria space at both buildings to address space and time issues at lunch.

8. Gym, weight room, locker room. More students at MLJSHS require more locker room space as well as gym space for class and practice. The weight room needs significant repairs and has reached the end of its use.

9. Fine arts auditorium: Currently, all performances are held in MLJSHS the gym. This space is not conducive to any type of performance.

For information on the plan to address these needs, click on the Proposition 1 and 2 links at the top of the page.