>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Representatives of the La Grande School District’s Facilities Committee are making their point, make that three points, perfectly clear.

La Grande School District voters are likely to approve a bond for maintenance and construction in November only under three conditions:

• the bond is for no more than $20 million.

• the bond’s focus is on health and safety and this is made clear to voters.

• the bond proposal calls for something to be done about Willow Elementary, which the district closed two years ago.

Representative of the Facilities Committee emphasized these points during a meeting with the school board Wednesday. Facilities Committee representatives were present to advise the school board, which is preparing a voter survey. Voters will be surveyed to determine what type of bond voters would support.

Dan Mielke, chairman of the Facilities Committee, told the board it will get a negative response if the survey asks for feedback about a bond exceeding $20 million. Mielke said it is not reasonable to expect voters to support anything more since they soundly rejected a $30 million bond levy for maintenance and construction in 2006. He pointed out that the economy has gotten worse since then, making it unrealistic to think that voters would approve the same size levy two years later.

Steve Donnell, also a member of the Facilities Committee, agrees that asking voters to approve anything over $20 million would be unreasonable.

“The economic situation isn’t going to get better by November. Talk to people on the street and they are being squeezed,’’ Donnell said.

Facilities Committee representatives also urged the board to group health and safety and educational elements the bond would cover into separate tiers on the survey. Patrons would then have the opportunity to say whether they would support one or both. Mielke believes support for the health and safety component would be strong.

Health and safety components of the bond would include the repair of roofs, replacement of old windows, handicapped accessibility projects and improved heating systems.

Donnell said people understand that maintenance issues have been deferred for years in the district and must be addressed.

“The community is well aware that you have to do something,’’ Donnell said.

Facilities Committee members feel equally strong about Willow Elementary. They believe something has to be done about the school, which was closed in 2006 for financial reasons, before voters will approve a levy.

Mielke believes that the best option would be to have the district spend about $700,000 for remodeling work so that Willow can be used for some purpose.

These might include housing the district’s administrative offices or serving students in some capacity.

Regardless, something must be done.

“Fix it (Willow) up, use it in some capacity or abandon it,’’ Mielke told the board.

The Facilities Committee has been meeting during the school year to develop proposals regarding the bond levy. Representatives had made extensive reports to the board earlier.

The school board will now develop a voter survey with assistance from the firm Randall-Dixon Public Relations LLC of Salem. The board hired the public relations firm April 30 to help with its bond levy campaign. Randall-Dixon will be paid $2,500 a month.

In action items at Wednesday’s meeting the school board voted to provide Gary Howland with a $1,500 a month stipend while he serves as acting superintendent in May and June. Howland is the district’s plant operations director.

Howland was named acting superintendent after Irv Nikolai resigned Friday as interim superintendent after being arrested by police on four counts of sex abuse.

The board later named Larry Glaze, superintendent of the Elgin School District, as La Grande’s next superintendent. Glaze will take his position as La Grande superintendent on July 1.