R-I Superintendent Shares Details About Proposition S In Open Letter

A great deal can be accomplished with 50 cents which is the increase that is being proposed for the Bowling Green R-I School District to bring about important improvement projects.
Proposition S would be the first property tax increase in around 50 years if approved by voters in the April 2 election. The current tax levy is $3.34 which is one of the lowest in the state.
School district officials held a public meeting last week to discuss the various improvement projects that are needed. It was pointed out that if the district is unable to pass Prop S that it will likely take more than 10 years to accomplish the needed renovations.
Bowling Green R-I Superintendent Matt Frederickson outlined the projects in the following open letter submitted to media on Monday, March 25.
Find more about the proposal at www.facebook.com/saferbgchildren/.

Open Letter From Dr. Frederickson

My first two years of service as your superintendent have been a tremendous joy, and I have been in awe just how this community pulls together and supports their school, time and time again.
We have spent a great deal of time listening and learning during these two years in determining what should be areas of focus within our new Strategic Plan and goals we should be working on for the next five years. After considerable time spend in community conversations with organizations around our community (i.e. Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Young Farmers and Ranchers, various booster clubs, etc…), in focus groups held here at the school, through community-wide and school-wide surveys, it is evident that our community is proud of our school. Our school has performed very well, especially these last couple of years on state assessments, graduation rate, college and career readiness measures, and attendance (all of those areas measured on the state Report Card.) In fact, the Bowling Green R-1 District has performed within the highest in the state.
What also rose to the top was the need to increase safety and security measures and repair our school facilities. While much has been done in this area (buzzing in and security film at doorway entrances, adding the School Resource Officer position, etc…), much more needs to be done. The board has determined that after three different safety and security audits, we need to correct our Bowling Green Elementary Fire Alarm System, fix galvanized water lines at both the Frankford and Bowling Green campuses, update bathrooms to be ADA compliant, add locking inner doors to our vestibules, and add vestibules on main entrances where there are none, fix structural issues with the foundation for the High School Auditorium and classrooms, upgrade the hollow core classroom doors with new ones that are fire rated and serve as better intruder protection, provide better security by encapsulating walkways at all levels, Elementary, Middle and High School, and increase energy conservation through replacing more of our single pane windows and the last of the inefficient HVAC units.
While most of these updates are not “flashy new buildings”, they are much needed in order to protect our students and to be good stewards of our schoolhouse and environment. The board hopes that you will pull together once again for the district as we go to the polls on April 2nd. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/saferbgchildren/

Respectfully,
Matt Frederickson, PhD
Superintendent