CV Survey Shows Voters Split Both Remodeling And Rebuilding Options Have Equal Support From Respondents

The Central Valley School Board has delayed making a decision about whether to remodel or rebuild the school district’s two aging high schools.

Board members had hoped to shape a proposal and choose a bond election date by the first of the year. They changed their minds, however, when a survey sent to 594 homes in the district showed voters nearly evenly split on remodeling versus rebuilding.

The survey asked voters how they felt about two proposals now under consideration.

The first proposal would involve remodeling both Central Valley High School and University High School and enlarging the U-Hi campus. The second proposal would involve remodeling CV and building a new University High School at 32nd and Pines.

Both proposals would upgrade technology and add ninth-graders to the high schools.

Survey results showed patrons about equally supportive of the options.

Of the 232 people who responded, 44 percent said remodeling both high schools should be a high priority. Just slightly more, 48 percent, said building a new U-Hi and remodeling Central Valley should be a high priority.

With an error rate of plus or minus 6 percent, the difference between the two isn’t statistically significant, said Central Valley School District superintendent Wallace Stanley.

The results don’t provide much guidance for the board, which was hoping to find out which option the public favored.

The results do tell school officials that each proposal has strong support from about one in two district voters. School bond measures need 60 percent approval for passage.

The surveys went out to a random sample of patrons who had voted in at least two of the last three school elections.

Board members had hoped to send voters a bond measure this spring, but the mixed results have convinced them to hold off.

Central Valley is 41 years old and U-Hi is 37 years old. Remodeling both, and providing the other proposed improvements, would raise property owners’ tax rates from $1.60 to $2 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The second option, including a new U-Hi, would raise the rates to $2.10 per $1,000 of assessed value, school officials said.

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