<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=40Fai5_0w1zisE800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=40Fai5_0w1zisE800" width="1662" height="1247" ><figcaption>Clarinda School District McKinley Central Office Building Mike Peterson/KMA News</figcaption></figure>(Clarinda) -- Clarinda school officials are working to identify the best way to move forward with district improvements.During a special work session late Wednesday afternoon, the Clarinda School Board reviewed possible future steps for facility improvements within the school district. The discussion comes in the wake of the defeat of a $1.34 per thousand dollars Voted Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, or PPEL, in September, with 55% of the vote against the referendum. School officials had previously attempted to pass two bond issues in 2023 to tackle a broader scope of facility upgrades before a similar PPEL in March, which was rejected by just seven votes. Clarinda Superintendent Jeff Privia says they had attempted the second PPEL vote after the close margin in March but are now brainstorming again after that margin jumped to 85 votes last month with Page County voters."We're just trying to brainstorm what we can do differently and how we can get the community involved," said Privia. "We've done as much education we feel that we can to our community with having those 25 open houses for people to see and we sent out a mailer this time letting them know what exactly we're doing with the money. So, we feel like we've done a lot in the past, but we've got to figure out how to get over that hump and that's what we're still scratching our heads about for the most part."In the meantime, Privia says the district's building needs remain the same. Primarily, Privia says the heating and cooling infrastructure is outdated at both the PK-6 and the 7-12 buildings."We still need HVAC at the high school and at the elementary where we have a 1957 portion that needs to be redone and a 1968 portion at the high school that needs to be done for our HVAC," he said. "We also discussed remodeling that media center for special education and our safe and secure entrances at the elementary."Even if the PPEL had passed, Privia says other possible improvements not included would have been a renovation of the auditorium, parking lots, and a new bus loop at the elementary school.During the public comment period of the board's regular meeting before the work session, school officials heard from Clarinda resident Cindy VanFosson, who emphasized planning in both the short term and long term to care for the district's current infrastructure and avoid having to make large asks from the taxpayers. Privia says the district does have those types of plans in place."We do have a five-year plan, a 10-year plan, along with 15 and 20 year plans, those are set up, and we also have what we would call our 'emergency needs' right now," Privia emphasized. "I can't go back in the past where hopefully those things would have been done, but they weren't. So, we're going from where we're at right now."With the first $750,000 payment from the district's Secure an Advanced Vision for Education, or SAVE funds next year, primarily for the middle school addition at the 7-12 building that is currently under construction, the superintendent says the district has about $350,000 to cover other various infrastructure needs."We're a little tight for the next few years as we move forward, but we still think we can make that work," said Privia. "So, one or two busses might have to last a little longer, or we'll get those electrical or plumbing repairs done as needed. So, we're going to keep moving forward and we may go at this again next year."Privia expects the board to have another work session in January to determine the district's next approach, whether that's putting a referendum back up for a vote in September or November of next year or March 2026.</div></body>

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Clarinda board discusses next steps on facility improvements

(Clarinda) -- Clarinda school officials are working to identify the best way to move forward with district improvements. During a special work session late Wednesday afternoon, the Clarinda School Board reviewed possible future steps for facility improvements within the school district. The discussion comes in the wake of the defeat of a $1.34 per thousand dollars Voted Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, or PPEL, in September, with 55% of the vote against the referendum. School officials had previously attempted to pass two bond issues in 2023 to tackle a broader scope of facility upgrades before a similar PPEL in March, which was rejected by just seven votes. Clarinda Superintendent Jeff Privia says they had attempted the second PPEL vote after the close margin in March but are now brainstorming again after that margin jumped to 85 votes last month with Page County voters.

Clarinda board discusses next steps on facility improvements

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