Voters in Velva will be asked to approve a $4.4 million bond issue on Sept. 14 to pay for an addition to the school, said principal Mike McNeff.
McNeff said the school addition would be about 22,000 square feet and would include a gymnasium addition, updating and renovation of the vocational and agriculture education departments, adding handicapped accessible bathrooms, and moving the school cafeteria to the main floor and making it compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and adding a commons area to the school cafeteria area.
McNeff said the renovations are needed because the school has lacked a handicapped accessible cafeteria and bathrooms. While not a big issue now, it could be a problem in the future if there are students with disabilities who need to be able to easily access the cafeteria. McNeff said there is only one gym in Velva and some of the younger students must practice as early as 6 a.m. to get gym time.
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Voters will be asked to go to the polls and approve a bond issue to add on to Velva Public School.
School property taxes would go up about $162 per year, or $13.50 per month, for the owner of a $100,000 home and would go up by $180 per year for the owner of $100,000 worth of commercial property.
"I hope we can be progressive," said McNeff, but he acknowledged that even $13.50 per month might look like too much for people on a fixed income. He said several meetings have been held to make the public aware of the proposed building project.
A 60 percent or above vote of approval is required to pass the bond issue. If voters give approval, work would begin on the school addition as soon as classes are out next May, said McNeff.