H-BC seeks feedback from residents

Hills-Beaver Creek school officials are seeking opinions about the district’s facilities and programs.
An eight-page survey will be mailed during the week of Nov. 14, and the deadline to complete it is Friday, Dec. 2.
Rob DeMeuse with School Perceptions, an independent research company, worked with the district to develop the 11-question survey to educate the public about the long-term needs of the district as well as to gather the public’s opinion.
Facility upgrades would cost $17.9 million while new construction is estimated at $26.5 million.
“We need the feedback to know what the community wants to do, and what the community will support through a referendum or levy,” he said.
The survey asks five questions based on a recently completed study of the district’s facilities and program offerings. There are an additional six questions about overall satisfaction.
The H-BC district is faced with three primary challenges:
1. Many major building systems have exceeded their service life (especially in the elementary school).
2. Some classrooms and labs are too small, especially for science, career and technical education “shop” and agriculture offerings.
3. Some athletic facilities are located offsite, which creates security and supervision concerns.
 
District addresses receive one survey
DeMeuse said one survey is mailed to each district resident and/or landowner.
To save postage, recipients are asked to respond online using a 16-digit code to complete the survey.
For households with multiple adults, additional codes may be requested from the H-BC District Office, 507-962-3240.
 
Survey focuses on three areas
The survey is divided into three areas: Elementary and high school planning, additional projects, and overall satisfaction with the district.
In the elementary school planning section, residents are informed about the elementary building’s insufficiencies and costs associated in making improvements.
Upgrades would total $17.9 million with the building of new facilities estimated at $26.5 million.
A tax impact chart is included with the elementary school planning section.
Survey takers are asked if they support updating, building new, support either option, would not support either option or not sure/need more information.
With the support of building a new elementary school, the survey asks responders if they support a new elementary school only at the current Beaver Creek location, only a move to the Hills location, support either location, or not sure/need more information.
Questions about planning at the high school in Hills include $20.6 million in improvements and additions including adding a gymnasium at the high school and selling or demolishing the Hugo gym site in effort to reduce district operating costs.
The survey takers are asked if they definitely or probably would support a referendum for the high school improvements, if they are undecided, or if they probably would not or definitely would not support a referendum.
A tax impact chart is also included with the high school planning questions.
The final section asks about the support for additional projects:
•A track and practice field on the high school campus. Currently H-BC does not have a track, limiting practice areas and leaving the school unable to host home meets. Estimated cost of the track and practice field is $940,000.
•A competition football field at the high school, which is currently offsite. The field would include additional bleacher seating, parking, appropriate lighting, concessions and restrooms. Estimated cost of the competition football field is $2.5 million.
A tax impact chart is included for each of the added projects.
 
Survey results unveiled Dec. 12
Hills-Beaver School Board members will review survey results at their Monday, Dec. 12, meeting. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the secondary school in Hills.
Results will also be published on www.hbcpatriots.com