$8.1 remodel proposed for Naselle/Grays River Valley School District

Residents of the Naselle/Grays River Valley School District are voting on proposed $8.1 million building bond to upgrade the building housing the district’s band room, vocational shops, weight room and grandstand.

Rick Pass, superintendent of Naselle-Grays River School District, met with residents last Wednesday in the last of four community meetings to present the plans for the remodel of the 1957 building. Also on hand were school board Directors Ed Darcher and Bob Torppa and architects Tom Bates and John Wegener.

The group said that a desire to continue to make improvements to the school campus and compete with other educational districts as well as the knowledge that the 1993 bond would be paid off in short order prompted the formation of a committee two years ago to discuss potential changes around campus and the possibility of a replacement bond.

The school board voted unanimously to approve this bond for the upcoming ballot.

The board would like to use the $8.1 million bond to renovate and improve the 1957 building, “re-using all the existing structure,” according to the architects. Plans call for added classrooms, updates to the vocational technical area and band rooms, enlargement of the weight room and addition of a locker room and gym. They also want to improve the grandstand area to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, improve the sight line of the bleacher seats, and create a lobby with indoor restrooms and concessions. The 1993 bond was paid off in December. In 1993, the assessment was $2.73 per $1,000 of assessed property value; in 2012, the assessment was $1.57 per $1,000.

The district has received a grant in the amount of $768,035 which will be used to install a ground source heat pump, replacing propane and saving them an estimated $25,000 every year. They are applying for a second grant in the amount of $1 million which they plan to apply towards the bond if received.

Estimated costs are $2.30 per 1000 assessed value of home, 73 cents higher than the just completed bond. So, if a home is assessed at $100,000, one should expect to pay an extra $73 in taxes. The bond will be collected over a period of 20 years.