Vandercook Lake Schools is trying again with a scaled-back $9.28 million bond proposal to address critical infrastructure needs after voters rejected a larger measure in November.
- Vandercook Lake Schools proposed a scaled-back $9.28 million bond.
- The funds target critical needs like plumbing, roofs, and fire alarms.
- Supporters say the upgrades are essential for student safety.
Superintendent Melissa Bradfield said the district went back to the drawing board after a nearly $20 million bond for locker rooms, athletic facilities, and school infrastructure failed.
"We did a couple focus groups, had some community members. There were several that actually attended that voted ‘no’," Bradfield said.
"What I heard from them wasn’t that they didn’t want Vandercook to be successful. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to vote ‘yes’ for a bond for us. It was the mere fact that it was just too much," Bradfield continued.
Bradfield told me the district decided to scale the proposal back to about $9.28 million.
"We are really just focused on really critical needs that we can’t wait one to three more years to address," Bradfield said.
Bradfield showed me several of these critical needs, which include replacing old plumbing, leaky roofs, critical HVAC systems, and installing a new fire alarm system. She sees these upgrades as important for the health and safety of current students, as well as the pride of future alumni.
"I want them to be proud to come back. Vandercook’s been around for a hundred years, so we need to make sure that it stays for another hundred," Bradfield said.
Katie Osman is a proud Jayhawk graduate whose son is now a sixth grader at Vandercook Lake Middle School. She wants her son to have the same experience she had as a student.
"As a mom, you want your facilities to be the most safe place that you send your child every day," Osman said.
"It’s a lot more than just a ‘peace of mind’. It is a keeping our school healthy and safe," Osman said.
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