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River Ridge Board set to approve borrowing for exterior site project

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By Ted Pennekamp

 

The River Ridge School Board voted 6-0 at a special meeting Wednesday night to authorize possible borrowing for the $2.2 million exterior site and athletic fields project for the Patch Grove school.

During the meeting, the board rescinded its resolution to borrow up to $1 million that it had passed at its last meeting.

The board will now hold another special meeting on Monday, March 25 to pass the resolution saying the district will borrow $700,000 toward the project. Board President Ken Nies said the board wanted to have $300,000 set aside in case of an emergency. The board is also expected to authorize a petition Monday night for 30 days asking district residents for up to $1 million for the proposed project. The resulting $1.7 million would enable the district to move forward right away with the project, said Nies, who noted that the district also has $500,000 already available.

District Administrator Jeff Athey said if everything goes well, the project could begin in the first part of June.

If district residents turn down the petition, Nies said there will be a referendum in February of 2020 for the project. If the petition is approved, the project will proceed forthwith. The payback of the loans will be on a 20-year schedule. 

If a track and football field and the accompanying facilities are to be built at Patch Grove, Athey said it would eliminate the need and the cost to bus students to the Bloomington site for track practice and meets. It might also make the Bloomington site more attractive to potential buyers. A track and football field at Patch Grove would also eliminate the need to lease those facilities from the buyer of the Bloomington site as well as the cost to maintain the leased areas. The district would also be using facilities such as locker rooms that are already at the Patch Grove site. In addition, the physical education department, Play 60 and other programs would be able to use the track when needed.

The Bloomington site includes 16 acres and the 38,000 square-foot upper elementary school building.

The school board has been working with Top Notch Construction and Design of Prairie du Chien on the proposed project. Originally, it was proposed to do the project in two phases. If the petition passes, the whole project would be done at once, said Nies. There would not be two phases because it would be a much lower cost to do it as one, he said.

The project would involve excavating, the creation of practice football fields and baseball and softball diamonds, lighting and utility installation. There will also be construction of the track, a high school football field where the current baseball field is, bleachers, a press box-concession stand, fencing and possible rest rooms.

River Ridge has $165,000 earmarked for baseball field lighting. This money had previously been approved by voters.

Nies said the longer the district waits on such a project, the more it will cost taxpayers because it costs approximately $60,000 per year to maintain and operate the Bloomington facility. In addition, there are other costs associated with the Bloomington site.

“It will cost $100,000 every year we wait,” said Nies. “We’re looking out for the taxpayers.”

Nies also noted that River Ridge has increased enrollment by 35 students since the $1.5 million referendum to add a track and football field at Patch Grove failed in the fall of 2016. River Ridge’s tax rate dropped by $1.77 due to the resulting increase in state aid. Nies said the tax rate will increase by only 39 cents due to the athletic field project if the petition is approved and the project can proceed right away.

“It’s all about the kids,” said Nies. “One hundred percent of the kids will use the facilities for physical education. That’s the number one purpose.”

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