WILLCOX, Ariz. (KGUN) — Willcox Unified School District is looking to complete four high-priority projects but need help from city residents. The district is asking for votes on a bond that will be on an all-mail ballot special election.
Superintendent Kevin Davis said bond would pay for maintenance projects he says are long overdue.
“We’re the major employer in Willcox but we don’t have the kind of money that it takes, unfortunately, to address the needs that we have in our district," he said. "With the types of facilities we have, and the age they have on them.”
Jennifer Wilson is a member of the PAC Committee, which is tasked with rallying votes and making sure the advertised projects are completed if the bond is approved.
“Without this bond we can’t do capital improvement projects," she said. "There’s absolutely no money in the budget to come through to build a new building at the elementary school, to revamp the track that, honestly, that should have been redone twice in its lifetime.”
The bond is for $15 million dollars and will fund four projects. The projects include upgrading security measures like gates and windows, upgrading the athletics facilities, building a physical education and activity room at the elementary school, and other capital improvement projects.
“Our elementary school is approaching 80 years old," Davis said. "It doesn’t matter if it’s a school building or a house or whatever it is, it takes upkeep. And that takes money. And that’s really what (we are) faced with now.”
Wilson said the bond would cost residents $7.26 a month for the average homeowner and the total bond the district is asking for is less than what they asked for last year.
“It’s upgrades that have to happen now," she said. "And if they don’t happen now the cost is just going to skyrocket later. Because it’s not going to become a repair-and-maintenance issue, it’s going to become a replacement issue.”
Last year, the bond failed by 52 votes. Davis said they took feedback from the community into consideration when creating the new bond. He said they adjusted the total cost so it's lower and made sure they were more specific with what the projects would be. He and Wilson hope the results this year will be different.
“I'm super positive," Wilson said. "I talked to a lot of people and I think we’ve even changed some opinions from last time. So I think that’s a good thing.”
She said she's even spoken with graduates from last year who were unable to vote because of their age, but registered to vote so they can vote in this special election.
“These are kids who want to come back to this community," Wilson said. "And where there is something to come back to and for them to raise their kids in. They’re going to do it.
"We would love to see the improvements that are desperately needed here at this school and all of the schools in this district.”
Ballots can be mailed back or dropped of at the Willcox Justice Court, 450 S. Haskell Ave. through Election Day.
The drop-off location will be moved to the district office, 480 N. Bisbee Ave., on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
