KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff, NE News,Weather, Sports$5.6 Million Dollars For LCSD2?

$5.6 Million Dollars For LCSD2?

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By Travis Knudsen, Meteorologist - email

By: Travis Knudsen

The Laramie County School District Number 2 is asking for $5,675,000 from Laramie County property owners.

Voters will cast their ballots on Nov., 8th to decide whether or not to allow LCSD2 to move forward with plans to build a new gymnasium in Pine Bluffs.  As well as build an all weather Track at Burns Junior/Senior high school, while also expand upon the football and baseball fields.

"Do we really need this facility?  I think yes." Said Cole Manlove, and educator and coach at Burns High. "If you're going to have a high school, a quality high school, that's going to accommodate and meet the needs of kids over the long term, you need to always think about upgrading your facility."

The school district only need 51 percent of Tuesday's votes to finalize the project.  A vote that not everyone is sure will pass.

"There's been a lot of positive, but just as much negative input as to whether this bond is going to pass." Said Manlove. "If you broke it down into fractions, I think four-fifths of the money is actually going to go to Pine and one-fifth of it will actually stay here in Burns.  That is one of the biggest concerns of the people voting.  You can say almost 70 percent of the voting population actually are going to send their kids to Burns."

One of the first items that will be improved upon is the track at Burns High.  Currently dirt and gravel, the improvement would give the school a rubber all weather track.

If the measure passes, a tax increase will be imposed on those with property in the county.  The rate of annual take increase if found by multiplying a home or business owners property value and multiplying it by 0.00585.

Increased Tax = Property Value * 0.00585

"In small town, historically, the school has been the heart of the community.  If they want to keep the community thriving, they have to look towards the future, and the future is improving the facilities." Said Manlove.

If voter approve tomorrows referendum, it is estimated that it will take about 12 and a half years of the proposed tax increase to pay off the projects.