WVSD has plans to use extra funds

Lower-than-expected bids on two projects for this summer mean the West Valley School District has money left for projects in 2014.

The board had originally planned to use $1.73 million to re-roof Centennial Middle School and buy two new boilers, but Deputy Superintendent Doug Matson said the bid came in at about half that amount.

Construction on the roof will begin next week and work on the boilers has already begun.

With the extra funds, the school board approved a plan last week that would purchase two school buses, improve fire protection at Ness and Seth Woodard elementary schools, rehabilitate the track at West Valley High School and complete fencing, stormwater and parking improvements at Millwood Early Childhood Education Center.

The city of Millwood will put in a new sidewalk on Buckeye Avenue to West Valley High School, which will disturb the parking lot at the Early Childhood Education Center. The district will move the fence and put in a swale near the parking lot.

Matson said some of these projects were in need of completion in the coming years: the track at the high school has a lifespan of about 10 years and it will turn 10 years old next year.

The nonvoted debt was approved by the school board during its June 26 meeting.

He said the bonds will be repaid with $230,000 from the bus depreciation fund and $1.5 million from general fund revenues.

“Interest rates are really low, now, too,” Matson said.

Matson told the school board the projects would begin next summer.

School districts approve short-term nonvoted bonds occasionally for smaller projects. Matson said West Valley hasn’t done it very often. In 2010, East Valley School District purchased its garbage truck using nonvoted debt, and last year, the Central Valley School District purchased the building used to house Spokane Valley Tech using nonvoted debt.