Talks set on funding options for Urbana schools building project
URBANA — The Urbana school board this week will learn about ways to help pay for a proposed new early childhood center and an addition to an elementary school.
Anne Noble, senior vice present/managing director of Stifel, Nicolaus & Co Inc., and Tom Crabtree, the company's vice president, are scheduled to speak to the board about alternative funding options for the project.
IGW Archtecture of Urbana recently estimated the cost of the project at $15.3 million.
School board President John Dimit said at least a portion of the project will be paid for from the county sales tax for school facilities.
The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Jean F. Burkholder Administrative Service Center, 205 N. Race St., U.
The early childhood center would be built east of Prairie Elementary School, according to Ota Dossett, director of facilities services.
The new center would connect to the school through a new gymnasium, Dossett said.
"It will be a junior high-sized gym with a stage," he said.
The project would also include the construction of a lunchroom and activity room, Dossett said.
Prairie Elementary School Principal Yavonnda Smith said the project would provide needed additional space for the school's 330 students.
"Our current gym is used both for PE and as a lunch room," Smith said. "With the addition, our students will have opportunities to use a gym and a multipurpose room at the same time," Smith said.
Smith said there would also be a community center, with an area that groups can use for various functions.
"Our staff is excited about the prospect of having more space," Smith said.
Dossett said bidding for the project is scheduled within the next few weeks.
Construction would start this fall, and Dossett said the project is expected to be completed by the winter of 2012.
The school board is also scheduled to consider a proposal to establish a baseball program at Urbana Middle School.
When are they going to spend 15 million dollars on teachers to get class sizes that of private school and stop handing money over to whom....??? for concrete.
Some questions that should be asked at this meeting that were not for the park districts recents hikes- Is this going to paid for or are we borrowing 15 million?
And who controls whether the school lunch contracts are open each year for bid? The last gov gave 15 year contracts out preventing small local farms and business healthy competions and options.
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