VIENNA — “My vote on June 2 will be a YES and I hope everyone else will consider doing the same,” said Maries R-1 School Board President Cindy Petershagen about the Proposition K.I.D.S., the no tax increase bond issue the district is asking voters to approve at the June 2 election.  

“The school needs these projects completed as they are primarily related to keeping students and staff safe.” The school board and administrators plan to use the money for safety issues that include improving the entrances, exterior doors, and classroom windows, improvement which are all designed to keep dangerous people out of the school, while ensuring they are being good stewards and maintaining the district’s facilities.

Petershagen said the parking lot is falling apart which poses risk to students, staff and visitors, not to mention the indirect cost of wear and tear on vehicles routinely driving on it.   

The district needs to be sensitive to the needs of the entire population. An ADA entrance to the gym and addition of the new band room will improve accessibility for injured or handicapped students.

Lastly, the track is in such disrepair that many schools refuse to come to Vienna to run because they feel their athletes may get injured running on it.  

Superintendent Mark Parker said these projects were identified by a committee made up of teachers, parents, administrators, and members of law enforcement. If the district is able to get these completed with the bond issue money, it will be a benefit to the entire community. The no tax increase bond issue extends the district’s debt service levy but will not increase school taxes on individual taxpayer’s tax bills.

Parker said there is a reason these projects have not been completed already. The money to complete them is not within the district’s normal budget. If the bond issue passes, the school district will start working on some of the projects as soon as possible. If it does not pass, the money is just not there to get them done.

“Each of us has certain projects that are more important to us than other projects, but this school is for everyone,” Petershagen said. “As a board member, I am working with the rest of the board and the administrators of our school to make sure we are doing everything within our means to address safety concerns, be good stewards of our money by making tough decisions to improve versus provide routine maintenance, and to move the school forward in all areas.” 

Petershagen said the projects the school district has identified as needed, are just that—needed. 

“I feel that one way that I can show my support to help keep my child safe as well as all of our students is for me to vote YES on Proposition K.I.D.S. To keep improving our schools, I would ask everyone else to do the same.”

Maries R-1 School District voters can vote absentee in the county clerk’s office if they are concerned about voting at a polling site.