COLUMBIA — Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Peter Stiepleman discussed a bond issue and an operating levy increase Thursday night at the district’s World Cafe, a community discussion event
The bond issue and operating levy increase would fund areas in need of improvement and help support current operations, Stiepleman said.
Stiepleman opened the evening by singing “We Are One” to the room filled with community members, educators and School Board members.
He said the song reflected the district's values.
The bond issue would fund construction, renovation, technology and equipment in the district from 2016-2022. The total expense would be $35 million, which would be broken up to pay for:
- One new middle school
- Two elementary school additions
- Equitable athletics facilities for elementary and middle schools
- One kitchen expansion/renovation
- Major school improvements such as roofs, parking lots, HVAC and windows.
Stiepleman expressed a need for a new middle school on the south side of Columbia because of growing numbers in that area of the district.
“We are looking down the road 10 years from now and seeing the kind of growth south of town, and land will never be available again,” Stiepleman said.
Gentry Middle School, the only middle school in the south side of town, is the largest in the district, with approximately 850 students, School Board Vice President Jonathan Sessions said.
Stiepleman also offered the idea of turning Jefferson Middle School into a STEM and arts middle school, also known as STEAM.
The operating levy increase would allow the district to continue funding regular operation expenses, provide support for an increasing number of students and help recruit high quality faculty, according to Stiepleman's presentation.
The increase would be 55 cents or 65 cents. The revenue from a 55-cent increase would be $12.1 million. The revenue from a 65-cent increase would be $14.3 million, according to the presentation.
At the end of the event, attendees had opportunities to weigh in on the proposed levy increase and bond issue during three rounds of discussion. The conversations covered three different topics:
- How should our community support high quality employees and students?
- How should our community support managing growth and facility maintenance and improvements?
- Pros and cons for improving district funding
After Stiepleman spoke, Oliver "Buzz" Thomas, the president of Great Schools Partnership in Knoxville, Tennessee, spoke about the importance of quality education.
Thomas, an author, said he once read that the way to write a good book is to write the truest sentence you know and then write another one.
“I flew halfway across the country tonight to tell you the truest sentence I know about public education,” Thomas said. “And I’m going to tell it to you right now. The community with the best schools wins.”
Thomas said the safest communities are the most educated communities.
“The more education you have and the better it is, the healthier you are,” he said. “The great news is you already have good schools.”
He said the stresses of poverty, however, make it “physically hard to learn.”
“If a grizzly bear walked in here tonight, you and I could not work a New York Times crossword puzzle,” Thomas said as the audience laughed. “But we could run faster than we’ve ever run before. … If the grizzly bear lives in my neighborhood and I run into it every single day, I’m going to have a hard time learning and that is the challenge.”
Thomas noted the importance of people making a commitment.
“A public commitment is hard to walk away from,” he said. “You have to decide you are really going to be the best and you have to say it.”
He said people must also be willing to invest not only in buying land and infrastructure but also in people. He said the most important thing in the city is the teachers.
He said it warmed his heart to see everyone with their “collective wisdom and brain power and resources” trying to figure out how to create the greatest schools in Missouri.
“Kansas City is famous for steaks and baseball. St. Louis is famous for beer and baseball. Let’s make Columbia famous for something that really matters. Let’s make Columbia famous for its schools,” he said.
Roger Fries, who had two children attend Columbia schools, said he attended the event because he was concerned about the money the school district spent on the newly built schools.
“I don’t like all the money the school district puts into these buildings, and they put them in very expensive land,” Fries said. “I think they could put that money into actual education — teachers, better equipped classrooms, a wider curriculum and whatever they need.
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