NEW RELEASE
REFERENDUM 2023 RESULTS: COMMUNITY REJECTS BOND REFERENDUM QUESTION
GLIDDEN, IA – November 7, 2023
On Tuesday, November 7, 2023, voters in the Glidden-Ralston Community School District rejected the bond referendum question on the special election ballot. Following the vote, the unofficial election results are 227 YES (48%) and 248 NO (52%).
Superintendent Kreg Lensch expressed his appreciation for the community's engagement:
“Though the bond referendum did not pass, I want to express gratitude for the engagement and interest shown by our community throughout this process. The District remains committed to providing a quality education to its students and will continue to explore other avenues to address the needs of our school facilities.”
The Glidden-Ralston School Board calls for a special election on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, presenting voters with one question; to authorize general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $7,300,000 for facility and learning environment improvements.
BALLOT QUESTION
Shall the Board of Directors of the Glidden-Ralston Community School District in the Counties of Carroll and Greene, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $7,300,000 to provide funds to build, furnish and equip additions to its K-12 educational facility, including classrooms and a secure entrance, with related remodeling and improvements; to remodel, repair, and improve existing classrooms and first floor restrooms of the 1922 building; and to construct site improvements, including a new access road and greenspace.
PROJECT SUMMARY
New Main Entry and Classroom Addition
The new addition will be attached on the north side of the existing Smith Gymnasium. This addition includes:
New secure check in/main entry and administration space
6 classrooms
Restrooms
Learning commons
⭐ Why is this important?
There is a need for additional classroom space and school safety and security standards recommend all visitors enter the school directly through a school office, where they can be registered, and school officials can verify the intent and destination before having any access to the building.
New Access Road and Greenspace
The access road will connect the road on the south of the existing school and run in front of the new addition up to the north parking lot. This addition includes:
Several parking stalls in front of the new addition
Greenspace
A safe and efficient method for student drop off and pick up
⭐️ Why is this important?
The new main entry and classroom addition will need to have an access road and an attractive and welcoming entry to the main doors.
Renovated First Level Restrooms (1922 Building)
Renovate the first level restrooms to have new finishes and fixtures and to be fully ADA compliant for students, staff, and visitors.
The boys’ restroom will be combined with the adjacent locker room and the girls’ restroom will expand into the teachers’ lounge.
⭐️ Why is this important?
Currently, the first level restrooms have outdated finishes and plumbing fixtures and are not fully ADA compliant.
These restrooms are used by visitors when attending events in the gym and impact the perception of Glidden Ralston.
Renovated Classrooms (1922 Building)
Improve existing classrooms in the 1922 building.
⭐️ Why is this important?
This allows classrooms to be renovated to fit today’s teaching methods in order to prepare our students to thrive in tomorrow’s workplace.
CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS
AND PLANS
AND PLANS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ⬇︎
PHOTO GALLERY
Explore the photo gallery of current needs below by hovering over the photo and clicking the arrows on the left or right side.
OPEN HOUSE
INFO NIGHT
INFO NIGHT
6:00–7:30 P.M.
Join us for a short presentation at 6:15pm, tour of the school, and ask Q & A regarding the November 7, 2023 Bond Referendum question!
Wed, September 27
Glidden-Ralston School
Learning Commons
602 Idaho St, Glidden, IA 51443
Tue, October 10
Glidden-Ralston School
Learning Commons
602 Idaho St, Glidden, IA 51443
A short presentation by Superintendent Kreg Lensch will begin at 6:15pm.
3 IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
As currently constructed, someone has to buzz in on one side of the building, then check in at the office on the exact opposite side of the building.
Once visitors are buzzed in, they can go anywhere in the building.
The office staff is currently unable to ascertain if a visitor should be admitted into the building. An updated safe and secure entry would require all visitors to check in with the staff in person before being allowed access to the school.
As currently constructed, polite students often let in visitors who seek to enter the building without knowledge of the office staff, who are then unable to monitor who is in the school and why they are there.
A safe secure entry and check-in was the #1 most recommended repair by both the community advisory committee and the community survey.
The building and restrooms were built 69 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Our 1921 building is beautiful on the outside, and the school has been well cared for over the years, but like any older structure it needs to be updated to current standards and best practices.
The main first floor bathrooms need to be updated for ADA use, both for students and visitors, who use the bathrooms during school hours and when visiting the gym for sports, plays, events, and graduation.
The dated appearance of the restrooms impacts how visitors from surrounding communities perceive Glidden-Ralston when visiting the school.
Teaching methods have changed and require more room to prepare students for a quickly evolving economy.
Students are no longer taught lecture style with rows of desks. Today’s workforce looks for employees with skills such as collaboration, creative problem solving, communication, and critical thinking.
To teach these skills, teachers today focus more on groups working together, in small or large groups, to achieve growth. This requires more room, having space for students to spread out with their laptops and tablets to work in a collaborative setting.
Federal initiatives such as Title 1 require more space for one-on-one and small group settings to help students become more proficient at reading and math.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
SEP 2022
Comprehensive Facilities Assessment conducted by SitelogIQ to assess physical, educational, and functional needs.
OCT-NOV 2022
Facility Assessment Review is presented to the school board and District administration.
Board comprehensive review including prioritizations, project scenarios, potential costs.
MAR-MAY 2023
Community Advisory Committee meets 5 times over 12.5 hours to review school finance, facility assessments.
Community-wide survey begins.
MAY 2023
Community Advisory Committee reports their findings to the School Board.
School Board reviews results of the community survey.
AUG 2023
The School Board passes a resolution committing to move forward with a bond referendum.
NOV 2023
November 7, 2023 Bond Referendum vote.
Community Voice:
Critical Input for District Facility Planning
Critical Input for District Facility Planning
Community Advisory Committee Meeting
Time to Tour with the Advisory Committee
Community Advisory Committee
Community engagement is a critical component in understanding the local communities’ feelings and opinions of their schools, what they prioritize, and what they are willing to support. At the direction of the Board, a Community Advisory Committee was formed. From March to May 2023, the Facility Advisory Committee, composed of 25 volunteer community members who represented a cross section of the community, met five weeks, investing approximately 12.5 hours of their time doing the following:
Extensive tour of the building
Examined facility engineering assessments
Learned about Iowa school financing, the District’s current financial position, and funding options from the District’s financial consultant
Studied district demographics and enrollment information
Reviewed facility improvement options
In their final meeting, the committee voted unanimously to recommend the following projects, if there was a bond referendum, in order of importance:
Secure entryway
New gym
A gym was not included in the final referendum because of cost concerns; it also did not rank highly in the community survey
Parking improvements
Note: additional parking was completed in summer 2023 using available dollars; it is not part of the bond referendum
Classroom improvements
Bathroom upgrades
Community-wide Survey
Between May 16-23, 184 Glidden-Ralston residents (19% of the community) completed a community-wide survey about regarding facility planning.
This community-wide survey was an extension of the work being done by the Community Advisory Committee, our staff, and district leadership. YOUR INPUT WAS HEARD AND IS VALUED!
