HVAC- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

CTE- Career Technical Education

ADA- Americans with Disabilities Act, the Standards for Accessible Design ensure that buildings are accessible to people with disabilities, impacting new construction, alterations, and specific aspects of existing buildings. Failing to meet ADA requirements can result in significant penalties, including substantial fines, legal action, and reputational damage. The Department of Justice can impose fines of up to $75,000 for a first-time ADA violation and $150,000 for subsequent violations. Additionally, individuals can sue for damages and legal fees.

Vestibule Entrance System- A school vestibule entrance system is a secured entryway designed to enhance school safety by controlling access to the building. It typically consists of a two-door system with an inner and outer set of doors, creating a secure space where visitors can be identified and authorized before entering the main school building.

SAVE- Secure an Advanced Vision for Education. SAVE funds come from a stated wide 1-cent sales tax. The Iowa Legislature established the School Infrastructure sales tax in the mid-1990s to give school districts a revenue-producing alternative to property tax for infrastructure and technology needs. A bond against SAVE dollars is sometimes called a sales tax revenue bond and does not change property taxes.

PPEL- The school board may annually certify a regular Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) in an amount up to 33 cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation.

VPPEL- The voters may authorize a voted Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (VPPEL) for a period not exceeding ten years and in an amount not exceeding $1.34 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The VPPEL revenues may be used for the same purposes as the PPEL revenues. In addition, the board may obtain loans against future VPPEL revenues and may repay that debt with interest from the VPPEL.

GO (General Obligation) Bonds are synonymous with School Bonds (municipal bonds) or GOV (Government)

GO Bonds are financial instruments issued by local school districts to borrow money from investors. Voter approval is required before a school district can issue GO Bonds

The borrowed amount, along with interest, is repaid over time using local property taxes.

The funds raised through bond sales are designated for specific projects as stated in the Ballot Measure, such as constructing new schools, renovating buildings, addressing ADA, building code, and fire safety concerns.

The bond referendum will fund a combination of new construction, major renovations, and infrastructure upgrades at the existing Charles City High School to address critical needs related to safety, accessibility, and educational space.

• Demolition and Replacement: The outdated 400 (small – music programs) and 600 (medium – general classrooms) circle buildings will be demolished and replaced by new construction.
• New Construction: New structures will be built for:
  • Enhancements to the main High School entrance, including a new secure vestibule.
  • New student commons (dining, large gathering, group/student organization/study space) and kitchen with receiving area, including improvements to the Family and Consumer Sciences Department, highlighting the Comet Cafe.
  • A new music complex including classrooms, rehearsal rooms, individual practice rooms, and storage.
• Campus Flow Improvements: The new addition will create a more direct and efficient connection between the high school and middle school, significantly improving student/staff circulation and reducing food service delivery time to less than ¼ of the current time.
• GENERAL RENOVATIONS & UPGRADES
• Classroom Space: Most existing classrooms will be upgraded with new systems and finishes at a minimum. The existing media center (library) area will be converted into new classrooms and student support spaces.
  • Student Services Spaces: The main office, nurse area, and student counselling spaces will all receive basic systems and finish upgrades.
  • Athletic Spaces: The High School wrestling program will be moved back to the High School.
• Building Systems: Across the existing high school, the project will replace or upgrade:
  • HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and lighting systems – environmental upgrades and controls, plumbing system replacements, and efficient lighting.
  • Interior Finishes: new floor, wall, and ceiling finishes, environmental graphics, equipment and fixtures, and color. 
  • Accessibility Features: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, such as required maneuvering clearances, door hardware, mobility obstruction removal, restroom fixtures, service/work area ergonomics, signage, etc.
• Elevator Addition: A new elevator will connect the lower-level locker rooms to the gym balcony, improving accessibility and allowing the gym balcony to be repurposed.
• Restrooms: All existing restrooms will be upgraded for ADA compliance and updated with new finishes, fixtures, and accessories. Additional restrooms will be added to the north end of the building.
  • Fire and Building Code deficiencies: fire sprinkler, fire alarm, voice evacuation system, building area compartmentalization, egress path, dead-end corridors, etc.

Safety/Security Systems: Many safety issues, such as structural deficiencies, protective barriers, dead-end corridors, etc., will be addressed with new construction. Security upgrades include the secure entrance mentioned above, classroom safety locks, a decreased number of exterior doors, security camera enhancements, etc.

The bond referendum amount has been set at $30,000,000. Re-payment time period is 20 years.

The District does not collect or keep enough funding in reserve to fund such a large project and current needs far exceed funding available without a bond referendum. The School Board has committed $4 million of future SAVE funding toward the project since that funding source can be used for infrastructure improvements. This will allow the District to borrow less and save a significant amount of interest over the 20-year borrowing period..

The portion of this project being funded by the GEO Bond is limited to $30,000,000 which cannot be exceeded. The Architect has included contingency dollars in the budget to mitigate against higher bid costs. If bids come in higher than the contingency funding included, the Board of Education still has options available for moving the project forward while not exceeding available funding. Some options include the following:

• Directing the design team to make project scope/material changes to align with available funding. • Scaling back the project scope based on priorities of the District, the high school, and the community.

A previous study concluded that significant HVAC/plumbing/electrical upgrades are badly needed. Those recommendations will be incorporated into the proposed project. In fact, many of the needed upgrades will be replaced by new systems associated with new construction providing a much better value to the District. Additionally, the Board’s commitment of $4M in SAVE funding (mentioned above) was specifically intended to address these needs.

Yes. Funds for furniture, fixtures and equipment are included in the project budget.

Anyone who lives in the Charles City School District, is eighteen years of age, and is registered to vote can cast a ballot on November 4. A person that is not registered to vote can register at their polling location the same day by providing proof of age and residence.

Hours to vote are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling locations are:

• Floyd County Courthouse
• Messiah Lutheran Church
• Trinity United Methodist Church
• Floyd Community Center
• Floyd County Fairgrounds
• Marble Rock Library

Chickasaw County

• Nashua City Hall

If you are unable to vote on November 4, you can vote early by using an absentee ballot. You can request a ballot via mail by completing an absentee ballot request form available at the auditor’s office. Absentee ballots can be requested through October. 20th

General Obligation Bond referendums require 60% of the votes cast plus one additional vote to be “yes” for the referendum to pass. In recent years, multiple school bond referendums have been decided by less than a handful of votes. This demonstrates that everyone’s opinion and vote is important!

No. The District’s Architect in coordination with District Administrators will develop a construction schedule for approval by the School Board that is sensitive to the learning process. Additions and renovations will happen in a multi-phased approach over several years to keep operations running and minimize disruptions. Construction procedures and safety standards will also be put in place to limit any disruptions to student learning.

No new staff are planned. Upgrades to facilities and technology will provide the District opportunities for new or expanded educational programs that may require new staff.

Bidding and start of construction are anticipated by the end of 2026 should the referendum pass. The construction timeline is still being developed but will involve a number of construction phases over several years based on the project’s construction logistics and complexity.

Enrollment has decreased over time and is projected to continue a modest decline over the next 5 years. The project focuses on upgrading outdated facilities where practical and replacing them with new ones when appropriate, resulting in a small net gain in total square footage. Research has shown that investing in facilities has a correlation with an increase in student enrollement and academic achievement.

Safety and security features will include a new secure vestibule at the main entrance requiring all who enter to pass through the office during school hours. Additionally, the security camera system will be updated and electronic building access will be added. Advancements in door locking hardware will be used on all interior spaces. The number of exterior doors will be reduced. Other safety and security protocols for staff will be instituted by the District in conjunction with the project.

Updating aging facilities to provide better natural lighting, technology, environmental systems and an inviting environment have all been shown to increase learning potential and positively affect occupant performance. Additionally, businesses in the region have been seeking capable workers for their industries and have reached out to the school for assistance. By teaching students real trade skills using 21st century technology, their opportunities for employment in the region are significantly improved. CTE programs can be added and/or enhanced along with strengthening local business partnerships. Any improvements to the school building/environment will improve learning.

Everyone at some point in time has helped support a school that they did not have children attending. Someone likely supported you when you were in school who had none of their own children attending at that time. This concept is fundamental to building community by supporting all aspects that make Charles City a great place to live, work, and play. Small communities need strong schools, and strong schools help maintain strong property values. Investing in schools now will pay huge dividends in the future. Not supporting or waiting only means additional costs and higher taxes down the road. Well-maintained and attractive schools also represent a community’s priorities, build community pride, display the community’s commitment to its future leaders, and greatly assist in attracting new business/residents.

Due to the original design and age, the circular buildings have MANY deficiencies, making them costly to maintain and difficult to renovate. Significant building code violations are present. Accessibility issues are numerous and costly to fix. Space flexibility is significantly limited. Many systems are far beyond useful life expectancy, hard to repair, and inefficient.

This building needs to be maintained until a second phase project can be completed due to several factors. First, it contains a large quantity of classroom space that needs to be maintained while this project is completed so the District can maintain operations during construction. Second, it provides the main circulation route between the north and south halves of the HS facility that will also need to be maintained during construction. Third, most of the buildings’ systems run through this building and cannot be disrupted until the new addition and renovations are completed.

Discussions with staff indicate that spaces for CTE programs in the south wing are adequately sized and primarily require renovations for HVAC/plumbing/electrical/lighting. Modest renovations for new finishes and building code/ADA updates will be completed. A new greenhouse is also part of the plan.

The existing HS gymnasium will be maintained and have new finishes, lighting and equipment installed. Existing bleacher seating will be replaced and additional new bleacher seating will be

added. The balcony and lower-level locker rooms will be made accessible through an elevator and enclosed walkway addition. The gym balcony will be redesigned into a weight/fitness room looking out over the gym and the existing weight room will be converted back to a wrestling facility, bringing wrestling back on campus. The existing girl’s locker rooms will also be renovated.

The kitchen/commons will be relocated to new space in a new addition. The existing commons/kitchen will be redesigned to include a student lounge/Comet Café and expanded Family and Consumer Science facilities for MS/HS students. Enhancements will be made to the remaining space to provide an inviting main entrance lobby.

Basic finish and systems renovations in the main office, nurse and guidance spaces are planned for this phase of the project. More significant renovations are planned for a future phase.

The existing Media Center and some surrounding spaces will be demolished to make space available for new classrooms and support spaces. Some Special Education curriculum will also be relocated here. And new restrooms will be added to this side of the HS.

Absolutely NOT. School District’s funding sources and dollars are dedicated for specific uses. Teacher salaries are paid from the District’s General Fund. Bond Referendum dollars are dedicated for infrastructure improvement only.

No new work is planned for the Middle School portion of the building.

An Auditorium was included on the list of priorities the Board considered, and the Board is supportive of the community’s desire for such a facility. However, available funding along with other more pressing needs does not allow an Auditorium to be included with this proposed initial project. The Board requested that the Architect develop a “masterplan” to include ALL the District’s current needs over time and as additional funding sources are identified. The Architect’s masterplan includes a 400-seat Auditorium facility as part of a future phase project along with additional classroom space.

The School Board is actively discussing additional non-property tax-based funding options, including sales tax, private donations, etc., to allow a future phase project to begin just after the Middle School bond is paid off in 2029. This is planned to roughly correspond with construction completion on Phase I. The timing of a future phase will be contingent on securing these alternate funds.