Officials make final case for bond issue

Chad Lyons points out cracks in the tile walls where part of a bathroom has dropped several inches as Superintendent Grant Norgaard looks on.

McCOOK, Neb. — Corners were cut when the current McCook Junior High was built, and it was designed for an open-concept, team teaching system that fell out of fashion almost before it was completed. The movable walls — which do little to deaden sound from one classroom to the next — were almost never opened, and because it was the third major school bond issue in a couple of decades, construction probably wasn’t as robust as it should have been.

Students and teachers have been paying the price for the past 60 years, and the structure is now failing. A maintenance man responded to a “bang” to find that the entry to a woman’s bathroom had dropped several inches, and sinking walls in another part of the building have crimped off water lines to the point that plumbing had to be jerry-rigged to serve a single sink in a chemistry room.

School officials made a final pitch to voters to approve a $43.5 million bond issue to an audience of a few dozen voters Wednesday night, with a handful treated to the final tour of the current building before Tuesday’s vote.

With a design-build system in place—contractors working closely with architects to control costs—officials hope to create a facility that will serve for 100 years, well past the time it will take to upgrade or replace other school facilities.

McCook has been careful with controlling costs, Business Manager Jeff Gross said, noting that McCook Public Schools has one of the lowest per-pupil costs in the state at about $16,000, and a taxpayer contribution lower than any other comparable school, $6,909 currently and $8,611 with the passage of the bond, still lower than other schools such as Plattsmouth, Broken Bow, Gothenburg and others.

If approved by voters Tuesday, the school project timeline aims to complete construction by August 2026. It focuses on educational and CTE (Career and Technical Education) spaces and improves ADA accessibility and safety by eliminating the number of entry points and the time students spend outdoors walking from one building to another.

Contractors will set a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) of $43.5 million. To manage construction needs, some students may be temporarily relocated, with facilities such as the National Guard building in consideration. The project is funded by a 30-year bond with an estimated interest rate of 4.3%, and LB2 legislation will reduce the assessed value of agricultural land for bond purposes.

The district intends to ensure flexibility by using a contingency fund to address unforeseen changes during the build. Bonds are likely to be refinanced at lower rates if they become available.