When stepping into polling locations on Tuesday, voters within the Twin Rivers R-X School District will be presented with a proposed tax levy increase for the purpose of building a new high school in Broseley.
Fifth through eighth grade students from Fisk and Qulin would occupy the current high school while 9-12 students would be in the new building.
Citizens on both sides of Proposition K.I.D.S. have voiced what they feel are the advantages and concerns of the $1.15 proposed tax increase.
It could generate an estimated $18 million for the high school building project and past summer projects. There would also be over $3 million for other renovations and improvements in the district before the 20-year sunset.
District members Gary Pride, Lee Wright, Bruce Goodrich and Lee Jones each have their concerns with the presented plans, or what they feel is a lack thereof.
The opposition is concerned with issues regarding price and plans for the potential high school, parking, mixing younger and older students, cafeteria times and increased traffic on Highway 51.
"No one has certain answers, they are very vague," Pride said. "What the people of the district are asking for is value. Show me the value of the tax dollars, show me a plan and cost and no one can."
Supports of the proposition believe a new high school is what's best for the students, educationally and logistically.
"Education is very important and the best thing we can do is offer our children a quality education," Marjorie Loyd said.
Loyd, who has lived in the district since 1972, had children, grandchildren and currently great grandchildren attending the schools.
Due to the ongoing controversy on social media over Proposition K.I.D.S., many were hesitant to voice their opinion on the record regarding the proposed tax levy.
One parent of four children within the district, who wishes to remain anonymous due to employment reasons, said he is "at about a 52 percent/48 percent stance" currently on Proposition K.I.D.S.
"I don't want more taxes, but I want my children to receive a good education," he said. "I would much rather pay the inflated tax rate than send my children to (a private school) and still have to pay the tax rates."
Building plans
and costs
During the October 2017 Board of Education meeting, a high school rendering of 46,000 square feet and 18 classrooms was presented by CTS Group of St. Louis, Mo.
The majority of the money would be spent on a $9 million facility and provide $1.9 million for improvements completed in the summer of 2017.
The district has allowed debt payments of $4.1 million and approximately $787,134 respectively for these projects.
If the proposition does not pass, Superintendent Jeremy Siebert said these payments would come out of the annual budget.
In board meetings since the initial presentation, the board expressed interest in adding more classrooms and additional seats to the gymnasium.
With these additions, Siebert said the plan is still evolving, so a final cost has also not been established.
The four men on the opposition side believe the proposed building could be paid for with half of the $1.15 tax increase.
Wright suggested a 60 cent increase for improvements throughout the district.
"There are already two infrastructures going (Fisk and Qulin) and they want to abandon those structures in attempt to build another that does not have infrastructure," Pride said.
Goodrich added there were a lot better ways to handle the situation.
"It has worked this long to keep three campuses," Jones said. "Keep making improvements on each end."
The anonymous parent believes a larger gym in the new school would provide an opportunity for more activities and programs to assist parents while working.
In addition to not having a final cost of the high school, the cost of a septic system to accommodate the additional students is unknown, the opponents said.
"We have not seen a good solid plan of what we are voting on including a septic engineering plan," Wright said.
Now working as a project estimator for a construction company, the anonymous parent said, a year ago, he would have also been worried about not seeing a final plan at this time.
"I know the process and without the funding, blueprints cannot be drawn," he said. "Everyone does it this way, not just at Twin Rivers."
Mark Benson, who served on the Twin Rivers school board over 20 years ago also recalls a "vague" building project while he served on the board.
While Benson was on the board, the cafeteria was moved to the current high school from across the highway at what is now the central office.
"Before implemented, it's hard to get specifics," he said.
According to ballot language, the funds would be restricted to construction, equipping and furnishing a new high school, and other districtwide renovations.
The money can not be used for salary increases or other expenses outside of the ballot language.
Parking
When proposing to bring fifth through eighth grade students from Fisk and Qulin, the men were concerned with the extra amount of parking needed.
During public meetings and school board meetings, building the parking lot toward the highway around the sign was suggested.
Concerns from the opposition were raised when wanting to know how the flooding issue of the area around the sign would be addressed.
During the public meeting tour in mid-March, the logistics committee said the flooding issue would be "looked at."
"We are tired of the smoke and mirrors and no questions ever being addressed directly," Goodrich said.
Highway 51 traffic
The increased traffic on Highway 51 is also a concern Goodrich said has not been addressed.
He believes the same parents who drive their children to and from school in Fisk and Qulin will continue to do so.
According to a Missouri Department of Transportation traffic volume map completed in 2015, the annual average daily traffic along Highway 51 was 580 vehicles.
According to MoDOT Area Engineer David Wyman, the traffic volume studies are updated every five years or when a new business comes to the area, including schools.
Mixing younger and older students
As the father of a young daughter within the district, Goodrich is worried about her being incorporated with older students in the same building. While staggering bell schedules has been proposed, his concerns have not been eased.
"I personally have concerns as the parent of a 10-year-old girl," he said.
Loyd believes the earlier students can be joined at one school, the better.
"These students compete against one another (in middle school) in sports and then they have to be on one team (in high school)," she said. "They already have their groups formed when they get to high school, so there are two groups there."
The opportunity for elective classes, including Algebra I for eighth grade students, has been suggested if the younger students were to join the high school students.
"The students who are ready to move ahead will have the opportunity and not be held back," Loyd said.
Cafeteria
To accommodate nearly 600 students in grades 5-12, the logistics committee has looked into "grab and go" breakfast options to be taken to classrooms as well as after first hour.
Currently the middle schools in Fisk and Qulin begin lunch periods around 10:40 a.m.
The logistics committee said a similar schedule could be followed at the new building. This would stagger the shifts for middle school and older students, wrapping up lunch shifts by 12:30 p.m.
Siebert has previously said closing one of the four cafeterias in the district would save around $50,000 in food service.
The opposition was concerned some of the students would be hungry by the end of the school day.
With the savings from the cafeteria, Siebert said the district will look into snack options for students later in the day.
Communication
The opposition also believes communication between teachers can be solved for far less than the cost of a new building.
Educators have spoke out in the public meetings addressing if teachers were in the same building, the curriculum could be easily modified if students were struggling in certain areas.
With teacher work days built into the schedule, the opposition believes that is the time to ensure all teachers are on the same page with their curriculum.
Benson believes the time to build a new school would come eventually, and sooner is better.
"We keep making repairs to the old buildings and there is no good place to stop," he said. "Twenty years ago we were patching and replacing roofs."
While opposed to the idea of building a new high school with a $1.15 tax increase, the opposition said they are for education.
"Both sides of the issue honestly want what's best for the kids," Pride said. "We just differ on the best plan to achieve it."