March 19, 2024

Work session to deal with Berg, reconfiguration

Tuesday meeting open to public

Over several months, members of the Newton Community School District board have tackled potential reconfiguration and major issues with the Berg Complex facility in several different formats.

Each one of those formats has been at least somewhat unique. Next week, another new twist on those two topics is set to occur, as reconfiguration and the Berg Complex will be the only two topics at a special board work session.

The work session is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the conference room of Emerson Hough. The board voted on the meeting time and date at Monday's regular bi-monthly meeting in the Berg Elementary School cafeteria, where only about 15 people were in attendance.

The work session is open to the public, but there won't be a public forum or comments item on the agenda.

At a September meeting, Public Financial Management of Des Moines sent a senior consultant to a Newton board meeting to discuss the funding for a large project at the Berg Complex. A $15 million renovation of Berg was discussed at that September meeting, along with a re-build that would cost around $35 million.

Those estimates have since been sharpened, according to recent documents presented at board meeting by Superintendent Bob Callaghan, to a $17.6 million renovation or a $30.6 new build. At least one representative from Public Financial Management will be invited to present at Tuesday's work session, Callaghan said.

“We have PFM that will be available, and also discussion or direction reconfiguration that need to be brought back in front of the board,” Callaghan said. “Although they are separate items, they are inter-related.”

The board voted at its Jan. 12 meeting to pursue the new-build option of the Berg Complex, but no reconfiguration plans have come before the board as action items yet.

The new build of Berg would leave a gymnasium in place and would be on the same campus, with the current building continuing to operate as usual, and the running track will be relocated on the campus.

A number of features that will be impractical in the current Berg structures could be hand-picked for a new building, and these would either increase or reduce the overall cost of the building. These include window and ceiling configurations, geothermal temperature control, solar energy use and common areas such as a library or cafeteria.

The district might be able to finance all or most of a renovation with a Secure an Advanced Vision for Education or SAVE fund, but even a thorough re-build wouldn't give Berg many of the improvements some say are needed.

At the Jan. 12 meeting, Newton High School board student representative Colby Lawson was asked what he thought about going to school at Berg, and he recalled a teacher dealing with how tough it was to be in a small classroom with no outside light.

The $30.6 million plan would need to be supplemented with a general obligation bonds of about $15 million, or however much is needed to make up the difference in the cost.

The bond will require voter approval, which could happen as early as Sept. 8. Voters would have to approve a debt service levy tax rate of around $1.50 per $1,000 of taxable valuation for a 20 year period.

The PFM representative at the September meeting estimated that a home with a $80,000 taxable value would pay roughly $120 per year.

At Monday's meeting, board member Bill Perrenoud asked how much time was needed for the work session. Callaghan said he thinks each of the two items could take “potentially” one hour.

“It was difficult to get everyone aligned for either Tuesday or Wednesday this week,” Callaghan said. “Because PFM was kind of on a deadline, we tentatively put it for Feb. 3.”

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com