Rich County residents invited to community meeting to discuss upcoming school bond

Rich School District is asking voters to approve a $8.5 million bond to expand and improve facilities at Rich High School, Rich Middle School North Rich Elementary School and South Rich Elementary School.

GARDEN CITY – Rich County residents are being asked to vote for or against an $8.5 million bond for school improvements. The bond question is on ballots mailed to Rich County residents this fall. Public meetings to discuss the bond, its impact on students, homeowners, business owners and second-home owners are taking place throughout the month of October. One meeting has already been held in Woodruff. The next is scheduled Monday, Oct. 15 at Garden City Offices at 6 p.m.

The money raised from the bond will finance additions and updates at Rich High School, Rich Middle School and both Rich elementary schools. If the bond were to pass, it would mean an increase of $23.59 a year for the average home-owner (average primary home property value identified as $156,310). There are many vacation homes in Rich County that surround Bear Lake. The increase for an average secondary home or business would be $52.62 a year (average secondary home property value identified as $191,724).

At North Rich Elementary, which is connected to Rich Middle School in Laketown, the Rich School District is hoping to add a science lab, arts facilities (including a stage and music/drama classroom), storage rooms and a gym so the connected schools can facilitate both middle school and elementary PE and sports activities. By moving the music and drama department into the new facility, the district plans on using that existing space for a middle school special education classroom.

Construction is also proposed at South Rich Elementary in Randolph for a safety corridor between the elementary school and the high school. Doing so would allow the two schools to be officially connected, creating a covered area between the two schools. Students at both schools share the lunch room, auditorium and library. Creating the safety corridor eliminates the need for students to go outside when going back and forth between the buildings, and provides a truly closed campus.

The backstage of the auditorium would also be expanded at the south campus for performing arts and music storage, as well as a loading and unloading zone.

“On behalf of the Board, I invite and encourage you to attend at least one of the meetings,” Rich School District Superintendent Dale Lamborn wrote in a letter to Rich County residents. “Our goal is to inform the public and answer questions prior to the November 6 election.”

In addition to the meeting being held Monday, Oct. 15th, public meetings are planned on Monday, Oct. 22nd in the Rich High School Auditorium in Randolph and Monday, Oct. 29 at Rich Middle School in Laketown. All public meetings are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Proposed Additions for Rich School District

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