Support our schools: Vote yes on September 8
Ten members of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the High School Renovation vote speak
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Improvements to the Webster City High School are needed. As has been documented in this newspaper over the past several weeks, the facility is outdated, impedes student learning, makes recruiting and retaining educators more difficult, and no longer reflects the quality of education our community expects and deserves.
As employers, business owners, and community members, we see the impact firsthand. Our ability to recruit employees and families to Webster City is affected when prospective residents compare our educational facilities with those available in other communities. The condition of our schools' matters - not only to our students and teachers, but also to the long-term strength and competitiveness of Webster City.
The September 8th vote represents an important first step toward addressing these challenges and we urge voters to support it.
The School District's proposal has two primary components: renovating, remodeling, and adding on to the existing high school, and constructing a new wellness center that would also be available to the public. As members of the Community Advisory Committee, we believe the educational component must remain the project's highest priority. Based on the number of years the community has waited for this improvement, it is essential the academic aspects of the project are resolved. To ensure this occurs, our committee will continue to work with the District until a conceptual rendering for the educational component of this project is completed that meets the expectations of the community.
Our work as an Advisory Committee has also made something else clear: the District's long-term facility needs extend beyond the high school and beyond the funding available through the September 8 proposal. Other District facilities will require attention in the years ahead. Addressing those needs responsibly will require long-range planning and ultimately, consideration of extending the District's current debt service levy in November of next year.
We believe the District should establish a Long-Range Master Planning Committee to identify and prioritize those future needs, evaluate potential solutions, and communicate a comprehensive plan to the School Board and the public. We are willing to be a part of this work.
Perhaps most importantly, these investments may be able to be accomplished without increasing the District's current property tax rate. Sound financial management has positioned the District to make significant investments in our educational facilities while maintaining the current overall tax levy. This is an opportunity we should not overlook.
Approving the funding is only the beginning. Making sure these investments meet the expectations of our community will require continued involvement from the Community Advisory Committee, a genuine partnership with the School Board and District leadership, and continued engagement with the public.
Our shared work begins with a "Yes" vote on September 8.
Zach Chizek, Groves & Chizek Law Firm
Jake Van Diest, Van Diest Supply Company
Andy Hejlik, Boone River Financial
Colette Bertran, Iowa Central College – retired
Anne Garvey, Iowa Speciality Clinic
Tony Striegle, Senior Pastor Church of Christ Webster City
John Harrenstein, City Manager
John Marvel, City Councilor & owner of Morning Glory coffee shop
John Hawkins, Mayor, & owner of Hawkins Industries
Ariel Bertran, Community & Economic Development Director