The Perry County School District held a public forum to discuss plans and rally support for the new high school building, and for the Prop K.I.D.S vote that needs to pass in order to fund the project. A crowd gathered in the Perryville Middle School gym to ask questions and share thoughts and concerns on the issue with the board. The construction company and architects of the project were in attendance as well to answer the public’s questions.
Current and former school employees shared stories that rallied support for the need for a new building. Former school resource officer Matt Schamburg spoke about how he believes something has to be done to give high schoolers the same standard of building the rest of the students in the county have.
“I’ll have my third kid in the district. A kindergartner, a second grader, and a fourth grader, and they had these beautiful buildings that they’re currently attending school in. And then of course this beautiful building that they built a couple years ago. We need to do what’s right for our big kids,” Schamburg said. “I understand it’s a burden on everybody with the taxes and things, but it seems like the school district, the administrators, and the board have been hard at work trying to come up with a plan that’s more manageable for the residents of Perry County.”
If approved, Prop KIDS would allow the district to increase its operating tax levy by 22.15 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This would allow the school to borrow the necessary $35 million to invest in the project. The measure would raise the district’s operating levy to $3.4979 beginning in 2026, and it would be reduced by an estimated $.5440 when the temporary levy sunsets in 2046. The increased tax levy is significantly lower than the one that failed to pass before, the board said they hope this more affordable levy will convince more people to vote in favor of the measure.
The proposed new building is expected to be 140,000 square feet, and feature 34 classroom and lab spaces, as well as a 14,000 square foot gymnasium and a 10,000 square foot multi-purpose building. The board said they intend for the gymnasium and multi-purpose room to be usable for the entire community, not just Perryville High School.
Attendees of the forum brainstormed ideas for spreading the word about the vote and ways to rally support in the community.
“I just wish more people that are against it would come to these types of sessions and ask questions instead of just going on social media and blasting everything, because it’s the wrong information and that’s hurting our teachers,” one attendee said. “It’s not that we just have a pretty building. It’s hurting our kids in the long run. And it’s hurting the teachers that are motivated and want to see the best for these kids.”
“In order for a community to thrive, you need three things. You need good law enforcement. You need a good healthcare hospital. And you need good schools,” Perry County emergency management director Patrick Naeger added. “And we have to do something. We are at a point now that we have no choice, it has to happen. And we’ve got to get out there and do it again.”
Attendees also pointed out how affordable they believe the new tax levy can be, stating that the average person would only have to pay about $50 more in taxes for an entire year if the proposition passes.
Brockmiller construction president Colin Rodgers expanded on the reasons for having to rebuild instead of simply renovate, emphasizing the need for modern buildings to be up to date with modern codes, and the need to have room to run duct work and electrical components, which he said the old building does not have.
“Building codes evolve, and the original building was built in a time when there really wasn’t any building code. We are in a seismic area and it’s part of the state, and building codes over time have really embraced those seismic requirements,” Rodgers said. “So there’s a lot of portions of your building that are not up to those seismic codes. And if we’re going to go in there and renovate them, we would have to do a lot of structural reinforcing and those buildings are not really conducive to that. Not to mention, renovation costs are anywhere from 50% to 75% on the dollar for what it costs to build new. So it’s best to just tear what is left down and go back with new structures. And give you guys what you actually want and need.”
School board vice president Nancy Voelker addressed back up plans in case prop KIDS does not pass in August, she said something has to be done at this point no matter what as the board has already moved forward on demolition. She said the project would have to be scaled back to fit the new budget if that was the case, and that the board has been in contact with local banks about loans that can be taken out.
More information sessions will be announced by the school board throughout the summer.
The final day to register to vote for the August 4 primary that will include the proposition is July 8. You can register in person at the County Clerk’s office, by mail, or online. Polls are open on August 4 from 6 a.m to 7 p.m.
