Cove School District voters will have a two-for-the-price of one opportunity

May 9—COVE — Is a new public elementary school in Cove's future?

Cove School District voters will determine in the Tuesday, May 16, mail election the fate of a $4 million bond that would help pay for the construction of a new elementary school. The new school is needed because of increasing enrollment, according to Cove School District Superintendent Earl Pettit.

The bond levy, if approved, would provide the school district a two-for-the-price-of-one opportunity. The school district was awarded a grant from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program earlier this year, which will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of the $4 million for the Cove School District bond, should voters approve it, giving the district a total of $8 million for construction.

If the bond is rejected by voters, Pettit said, the matching grant would no longer be available to the school district. He said, though, the district would be able to reapply for the bond.

The Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program became available to school districts about 10 years ago.

Following are answers to questions voters may have about the proposed bond.

How much would the bond cost taxpayers in the Cove School District?

Property owners would pay $1.76 per $1,000 of their assessed property value for the bond. This means that the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $176 in property taxes a year for the bond, which would be paid off in 15 years.

Why is a new elementary school necessary?

The new building is needed because of increasing enrollment, Pettit said, adding that since 2015 his school district's enrollment has jumped by 100 to about 256 in terms of the number of resident students. The total does not include students from outside the school district. Because it is a charter district, Cove accepts students from outside the school district when it has space for them.

The school district had 120 out-of-district students in 2016 but today it has only 40.

"We have been able to make room for our growing number of resident students by reducing the number of out of district students, but we cannot do that much longer," Pettit said.

What would happen to the current elementary school if voters approve the bond?

The structure, built in 1934, would be converted into a classroom building for the high school. It would provide extra space the high school is projected to need due to rising enrollment.

The building would be renovated before high school classes would be taught there. New classrooms would be built that would conform to present education standards. The classrooms would be larger, which would mean the total number of classrooms in the structure would actually decline, Pettit said.

What condition is the elementary school building in?

The exterior of the building and its foundation, Pettit said, are in good condition but the interior needs extensive renovations.

If the bond passes, the renovation work that would follow would leave the exterior looking similar to what it looks like now but the interior would look much different, Pettit said.

The renovations would be paid for with money from the Cove School District's capital projects fund.

No money from the bond or the matching grant would be spent for the renovation work, he said.

What would the new elementary school building look like?

It would appear similar to the new cafeteria building that opened in the Cove School District in 2020.

The only real difference, at least in terms of the exterior, is that it would have two stories instead of one.

When was the last time Cove School District voters were asked to approve a bond?

The May 16 election will mark the first time residents in the Cove School District have voted on a bond since 2006 when voters approved a $475,000 bond that helped pay for the addition of two high classrooms and a number of renovations.

Where would the new school be constructed?

The new elementary school, which would serve students in kindergarten through sixth grade, would be built just east of the school district's cafeteria building. The food service structure is about 50 feet east of the present elementary school.

When would the new school be completed?

The school district would strive to have the new structure built in a little more than a year.

"Our goal would be to have the school open in the fall of 2024," Pettit said.

What will happen if a new elementary school isn't built?

The Cove School District would later have to purchase modular units to accommodate the growing number of students it is forecast to have, if the bond doesn't pass. Pettit said this would be a poor use of funding because modular units are designed to last only 10 years.

He said the district's enrollment is projected to grow at a rate that would force it to begin adding modulars to house many of its classrooms by 2030 unless steps are taken to build a new elementary school.

"We are running out of time," the superintendent said.

Dick Mason is a reporter with The Observer. Contact him at 541-624-6016 or dmason@lagrandeobserver.com.