Westside board to call special election for $121 million bond issue; six schools considered 'critical'

The Westside school board is proposing a special election be held May 9 for voters to decide on a $121 million bond issue.

The bond would fund the costs of replacing or renovating eight school buildings, plus the district office, to update security, safety, accessibility, technology and more.

Members will be considering the special election at Tuesday’s board meeting, at 6 p.m. in the district’s office, located at 909 S. 76th St.

If passed, the $121 million bond issue would boost the district’s tax levy by 4.9 cents per $100 of assessed value. This would cost an extra $147 a year for the owner of a home assessed at $300,000 for tax purposes.

The bond proposal is the second phase in the district’s facilities master plan that was created in 2013. The first phase, amounting to $79.9 million in projects, was approved in 2015 in a 65% to 35% vote. It funded the replacement of three elementary schools, renovation of a fourth and provided security, safety and infrastructure upgrades at all of the district’s other elementary schools and its middle school.

All projects were finished on time and under budget, according to board documents.

For the second phase of the master plan, six elementary schools were singled out for being in dire need of changes by Project Advocates, an Omaha-based construction management firm. The buildings include Westbrook, Hillside, Westgate, Rockbrook, Loveland and Paddock Road.

“All are in the critical state — all six buildings have issues that need to be addressed,” Rob Zimmerman, spokesman for Project Advocates, said at a December board meeting.

During a 2021 building audit performed by Project Advocates, the firm determined that the Hillside, Loveland and Paddock Road Elementary Schools were in overall poor condition, for both the exterior and interior.

Some critical issues include high levels of humidity that cause concerns of mold; no fire sprinkler systems; old, damaged carpet and ceiling tiles; no elevators; and classroom exit doors that lack appropriate hardware.

The bond issue will fund new school buildings for Loveland, Hillside and Westgate, projected to cost about $74 million total.

Rockbrook and Paddock Road will use about $7 million to build new gyms, storm shelters and early childhood centers.

Westbrook will undergo $9.5 million in renovations to update windows, concrete and infrastructure and address accessibility issues.

The middle school and high school will both receive infrastructure updates and new cafeterias, totaling about $19 million.

Westside is also budgeting $2.5 million to update accessibility at its district office, and $9 million will be set aside for inflation or unforeseen circumstances.

Though many of the projects are estimated to be complete by the end of 2026, some completion dates stretch into the year of 2027 and 2028, according to a tentative timeline from the district.

If community members want to learn more, Westside officials are hosting about two dozen informational meetings about the proposed bond issue, plus building tours, between March 2 and May 3.