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Show Questions Answered on School Bond Issue The program to be presented presents the financial picture and the educational needs of the district dis-trict and a panel will be available avail-able to answer questions. The following meetings will be held throughout Iron County during the next week to inform citizens of the facts involved in the coming school bond election. Monday, Feb. 28: Cedar City Kiwanis Club, 6:15 p. m. with Dr. Eugene T. Woolf in charge. Tuesday, March 1: Cedar City Rotary Club, 12 noon, Royce Chamberlain in charge. Tuesday, Mar. 1: public meeting, meet-ing, Escalante Valley, 8 p. m. at the community building, Amasa Stones in charge. Wednesday, Mar. 2: Public Meeting in Cedar City, 8 p. m. at the East Elementary with Royce Chamberlain in charge. Thursday, March 3: Cedar City Jaycees, 8 p. m. at the Cedar High School with Ken Knight and Royce Chamberlain i n charge. I Communications received this far would indicate that there are some facts about the coming election which are a little confusing. con-fusing. 1. What is the long-range! building program? j The first need is an addition to the Parowan High School. The second need will be a small addition ad-dition to one of the elementary schools in about 1972; a new all of the building in Parowan? No. Only the old yellow building build-ing built in 1917. We will continue contin-ue to use the 1929 red building for many years. 5. Why do we suddenly need a new building in Parowan? Can't we wait a few years and build a new building without going in debt? The old Parowan High School building is actually unsafe. It is built with wood beams and internal in-ternal structure. It is a fire-trap and conditions actually exist where students or teaches could be seriously injured by falling plaster. The roof has deteriorated to a point almost beyond repair. We will be lucky to get by until a new structure can be built. We it be near-sighed to begin trans-porting trans-porting 300 students and wind up transporting 400 or 500 students stu-dents in 10, 15 or 20 years. Some of the educational arguments against consolidation are that students in Parowan rank very well academically in relation to the national norms. The drop-out rate is much lower than it is in Cedar City. There are sufficient students in each grade level to provide two sections in required classes. The quality of the staff is excellent. The atmosphere and cooperation are excellent. Pupils in Parowan have many more opportunities op-portunities to participate in activities ac-tivities than do Cedar students. And, in conclusion consideration might be that how would you junior high school between 1980 and 1985 or in about 15 or 20 years; sometime within the next 25 years, the acquisition of a new elementary site; and, finally, the planning of a new district office of-fice when classroom needs have met and funds are available. However, this would not become a reality for many years. 2. Are we going to build a new junior high school with the new bond money? No. We will attempt to build a cash reserve of approximately approximate-ly two million dollars by 1985 for the junior high school. 3. Is the entire bond issue going go-ing to be spent in Parowan? Yes. The $800,000.00 would be programmed to build a new auditorium audi-torium and a number of additional addi-tional facilities. Also, it would , include renovation of the 1929 i building which we must continue ( to use, site improvements, including in-cluding a sprinkling system and landscaping, parking lots, necessary neces-sary furniture and equipment, and the architect fees. i 4. Are we woing to tear down ; ( should not delay another year j before attempting to remedy this unwholesome situation. It would take ten years to accumulate the funds to take care of the problem. prob-lem. 6. Why don't we consolidate Parowan High School with Cedar High School? Consolidation is not feasible from either an economic point of view or from an educational point of view. The cost of transporting trans-porting approximately 300 students stu-dents daily to Cedar would be considerable, especially when you consider the initial cost of buses and the replacement of these buses each ten years plus salaries for bus drivers and the maintenance on the buses. There are other economic factors such as the cost of educating high school students is Parowan is very little more than that of educating edu-cating high school students in Cedar City. Also, the economy of Parowan would suffer a considerable consid-erable blow if they were to lose their high school. Another factor, Parowan is growing and wouldn't i like your student to travel 42 j miles daily to attend school, and ;you, the parent, if you lived in Parowan, would have to travel 42 miles to and from ball games, programs and other school functions. func-tions. This certainly would cost parents of these students a great deal of money and time. 7. What assurance do we have that the building won't cost more than the $800,000.00? In the agreement sined with the architect, Mr. John Rowley of Cedar City, it is stipulated that the entire program at Parowan Paro-wan High School must be within the $800,000 budget allowed for the building. If initial bids are over this allocation, specifications specifica-tions and plans will be changed to bring the cost within the budgeted bud-geted amount. Questions such as these and others which you may have will be answered at the public meetings. meet-ings. Please urge your friends and neighbors to attend these programs. Y'ou owe it to yourself your-self arid your children to become well informed. |