LCC Looks To Renovate, Rebuild Through Bond Vote

LAUREL - The future of Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Schools will be decided during the general election next month.

Voters will decide on a bond issue not to exceed $23 million, which will go towards renovations for the elementary school and construction of a new high school. LCC Superintendent Jeremy Christiansen says a larger project is needed instead of continual add-ons to the buildings.

"Initially, a lot of the focus was on safety and security and improving the learning environment in the elementary school," Christiansen said. "The challenge has come with aging facilities, as what we're finding is that in those older buildings our core infrastructure systems are deteriorating pretty quickly."

LCC"s high school and elementary school facilities range from 21 to 98 years old, and a study that began in 2018 identified needs for an improved student learning environment through resolving school facility issues. The bond's fiscal impact on residential property would range from $57 annually on $50,000 property to $171 annually on $150,000 property.

Community forums have been held to give the public a chance to voice their opinions on the project, and while residents recognize the need for upgraded facilities, some have voiced concerns over the bond's price tag.

"Once our patrons have a chance to come in and take a look at the facility, they've all agreed that we need to do something," Christiansen said. "The other piece of that has been people asking why now, our local communities are having some economic challenges caused by the pandemic, but at the same time our board is trying to be fiscally responsible, and with interest rates at historic lows it makes sense to at least consider it now."

Christiansen says if the bond doesn't pass the board has contingency plans to try and upgrade school facilities, but says those options would take more time and would end up costing more money. The project now lies in the hands of voters, as the LCC School Board wanted as many people as possible voicing their opinions on the matter.

"We know that we tend to have a greater voter turnout and response during general elections, so this was a very intentional decision to place it on the ballot," Christiansen said. "The board wants to know what our community patrons feel like and what their opinions are on the project."

If the bond were to pass, Christiansen says construction would get underway next spring, with completion expected by the fall of 2022.