News : Opportunity for community input on school facility planning

Residents of the Vinton-Shellsburg School District are encouraged to attend events on February 20, March 14

Residents of the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District will have an opportunity to provide input on potential facility projects at two upcoming events on February 20 and March 14.

On Feb. 20, residents can tour all the district buildings from 5 to 6:15 p.m. followed by an open house from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Shellsburg Elementary School. The March 14 event will follow a similar format with the open house held at the middle school.

The community input sessions are part of the district's facility master planning process, which began early this year and is building on a facility assessment conducted in 2021.

"Our commitment to continuous improvement has prompted a collaborative effort to refine and implement a plan," said Superintendent Kyle Koeppen. "A master plan is a roadmap that forecasts what the District's facilities could look like. It allows the District to make strategic investments that address current needs while also considering future needs."

In addition to community feedback, the district's planning team, led by Miron Construction and OPN Architects, has gathered input from district administrators and staff as well as from the School Improvement Advisory Committee, which is made up of both staff and community.

The information gathered will guide the planning team as they develop the master plan. No decisions have been made about future projects at this time.

"Our goal is to develop a community-driven solution that effectively addresses our most pressing needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility," Koeppen said.

The district initiated the planning process because debt from the high school will be paid off soon, which creates an opportunity to make additional investments in facilities without increasing the levy rate or the school portion of property tax. The district intends to have a proposed plan developed by late spring or early summer. Residents of the district will be asked to vote on the plan on Nov. 5, 2024.

There will be additional informational opportunities before the election.

For more information, call the District office at (319) 436-4728.