Delta's dilemma

DELTA -- The possibility of a new elementary school in Delta, while still in the earliest stages of discussion, has created a small stir in the community, with some parents already pledging support and others lamenting the possibility of a tax raise.

"Around town I've had a thousand questions," superintendent Nathan Crowden said, stressing that nothing has been decided yet.

Delta school board members are considering purchasing property that could eventually house a new elementary school. Officials say the current elementary school is outdated, leaks and does not meet technological needs. The 13 acres they are considering are north of the high school, near where the district stores its buses.

Crowden said he does not know when the board will make a decision about the property or how much it would cost. The district has been putting money in reserves for years to purchase the land, he said, as part of a long-term plan developed more than a decade ago.

If an elementary school were to be built, it would have to have voter approval, he said. Crowden said there are three times this year a bond issue could be placed on the ballot: in April, August or November. An issue has not been placed on the April ballot.

Delta's 50-year-old elementary school building has been upgraded with Internet wiring that runs through the hallways.

"That would be a board decision," he said. "It may be a year, it may be 10 years," he said.

Board president Herbert Blattel Jr. declined to comment.

The elementary school was built in 1957 and has outdated wiring, Crowden said, showing a kindergarten classroom with only one electrical outlet.

"There is asbestos in the ceiling, so when we add wires we have to do it on the exterior," he said. Bundles of computer wires stretch across the edges of where the ceiling and wall meet throughout the building.

There is also a section of the roof that leaks, requiring a trash can and warning signs to be placed in one of the hallways.

Principal Mary Livingston said her biggest concern, besides overloaded breakers or plumbing, is location. The school is situated about three-and-a-half miles outside of town on Route N. "I'd like to see us closer to the main campus," she said.

The two schools share art, music and physical education teachers, as well as a counselor. The food service department is at the elementary school, with food transported daily to the high school, she said.

"There are a lot of logistical issues," she said.

Crowden said there are no problems with overcrowding.

The district serves a total of 334 students, divided between an elementary school serving kindergarten through sixth-grade students and a combined middle and high school.

Lisa Gifford, who has two school-aged children, is excited about the possibility of a new school.

"I think it would be great because the school is way too far from here. My son has ADHD and he has trouble on the bus," she said.

Business owner Jeff Diggs, however, was not as supportive. "If it raises our taxes, I wouldn't vote for it. The elementary school might need a little work, but they don't need a whole new building," he said.

Crowden welcomed people coming to him with questions, and said community forums will be held if the board decides to propose a bond issue.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123