Hartley, Iowa — In less than a week, voters in the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school district will go to the polls to decide the fate of a $16.25 million bond for building updates, renovations, and additions.
April Hengeveld, who is the chair of the bond committee says the plan would be to close the current elementary in Hartley and build a new elementary beside the high school in Hartley; build on to the middle school in Sanborn, and renovate the present middle school; and do some upgrades at the High School in Hartley. She says the high school would get a new industrial tech room and a new wrestling room.
She tells us why proponents say that the changes are needed.
Hengeveld says the current elementary has several problems including climate control. She says it’s too hot in some rooms and too cold in others, and parts for the old system are hard to find and in some cases they’re completely unavailable. Other problems are also too costly to fix, she says.
Hengeveld says they also don’t have the right facilities for handicapped students.
Two informal come-and-go question and answer sessions are planned before the election on September 13th. The first meeting will be at the HMS middle school in Sanborn on Saturday, September 10th from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The second meeting will be on the day before the election: Monday, September 12th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the HMS elementary in Hartley. Hengeveld says this is your chance to have questions answered and to see plans again. Tours of the buildings will also be available.
Click here for a sample ballot with the wording of the question being put to voters.
