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School Governing Board takes field trip
Members of community take trip to see deteriorating WUSD facilities

<br>Ryan Williams/WGCN<br>
WUSD Assistant Superintendent John Livingston points out water damage at WEMS.

<br>Ryan Williams/WGCN<br> WUSD Assistant Superintendent John Livingston points out water damage at WEMS.

WILLIAMS - The Williams Unified School District Governing Board held a facilities tour Monday afternoon, boarding a school bus and viewing locations at both Williams High School (WHS) and Williams Elementary-Middle School (WEMS) in consideration to receive possible bond funding.

The Governing Board held a more traditional bond forum Feb. 8 at the WEMS Auditorium where WUSD Assistant Superintendent/Business Manager John Livingston presented two possible bond options. After the forum, the board reduced the number of projects under consideration for bond funding.

The current bond proposal for approximately $4 million includes nine renovation or upgrade projects as well a possible renewable Energy Grid project and new media center/ laptop lab at WHS. The proposal also includes funding for the District's Band Program, currently on hiatus, and outdoor LED marquee signs.

The first stop on the facilities tour was at the WHS varsity football field. The bond issuance would address safety concerns including a narrow sideline area on the home team side of the field as well as drainage from the field area impacting the WHS parking lot.

WUSD Superintendent Steve Hudgens said the football field project was not the Board's top concern.

"We're stopping here first but that doesn't mean this is the first thing we're going to do," Hudgens said. "We haven't totally prioritized the list except we do know that number one will be the roof at the elementary school and two will probably be the locker rooms in both buildings because they are the places we really need to get to now."

Hudgens went on to say that if voters pass the bond, the district will not see the first of the funding until April 2011.

The next stop was in the WHS gymnasium where Livingston, Hudgens and Athletic Director Rick Shipley pointed out bleachers they characterized as unsafe. Livingston also discussed the possibility of renovating the gym's ceiling. The tour then visited the WHS locker rooms.

Hudgens said there is extensive water damage in the showers and locker room and the showers are outdated.

"If you take these walls out and look behind there, you're going to find nasty stuff," he said. "Kids don't take group showers anymore. It's hard to get kids to take showers. This place really needs to get gutted."

The group visited WEMS next, stopping in the cafeteria to discuss replacement of the floor covering.

WEMS Principal Rachel Savage said the flooring has become a liability at the school.

"It's just too porous," Savage said. "With these cracks, the food and the milk are getting underneath and it has become an unsafe environment."

Finally, the Governing Board walked the halls of the elementary school where Livingston and Savage pointed out extensive ceiling water damage due to standing water on flat areas of the school's roof.

"You can see that we've had several active leaks," Savage said. "We've had buckets and recycle bins and garbage cans collecting the water. We've had tiles fall down in a classroom. We came in after a weekend and tiles were broken actually in one of our computer labs. So, we're not only looking at danger to students but also danger to our equipment."

Board members must decide by June if they will call for an election in November. The district's previous bond was paid in full as of last year.

Under Arizona law, bond issues must be approved by 15 percent of registered voters who voted in the last election. Once a bond has been approved, school districts are obligated to hold public hearings to inform the public on how bond funds are spent.


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