Colton eyes second round vote on school remodel

Colton school officials are launching a second effort to fund remodeling of the aging Colton school building. Nov. 2 a proposal for a $5.1 million bond measure over 20 years was approved by a majority of district voters, but it failed to top the state’s 60 percent approval rate required for bonding measures.

When all votes were totaled, the count was 301 in favor and 282 against.

Over these next few months, Colton Superintendent Nate Smith said they will solicit the residents’ opinions on what should or should not go into the remodeling.

“Obviously, there were some concerns with the project we put forth,” Smith said.

More public meetings will be conducted to hear peoples’ thoughts and to present more information on the proposed project.

Smith said if the public has ideas that change the proposal, they’ll engineer a new plan to put on the ballot.

If they decide to put the measure before the voters again this year, it will be on the April 26 election ballot, he said.

In a letter in the school district’s newsletter, Smith wrote:

“The board’s position is that the problems identified with our school building have not gone away. The identified concerns regarding lack of student safety, electrical, plumbing, ventilation and other building systems are not any less real now than they were a month ago.”

Total cost of the proposed project is $10.2 million. If the public obtains approval for the local $5.1 million funding, the district will fund the project through a modernization matching grant with the state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The state’s portion would be a $5.86 million grant.

Almost $4 million of the funds would go to new infrastructure like heating, electrical, ventilation and telecommunications systems.

A strained electrical system and aging heating system are among reasons the school seeks to remodel the 1939 building which was last updated in 1963.

Under requirements of the OSPI modernization grant, the project will be required to remain within the footprint of the building.