Keith Vandervort
ELY – With numerous questions and feedback in hand, and a recent plea for major adjustments, ISD 696 school board members gathered at a study session Monday night to ponder their next moves for a $20 million building project that is more than $4 million over budget.
Following a special study session with district principals and a building facilities committee meeting last week, board members met with the project architect and construction managers to work through the mounting challenges of providing a modern educational facility for the Ely community.
More than $12 million in construction bids, mainly for the campus’s new building, were approved earlier this spring. A second bid package, primarily for the renovation and modernization of the district’s existing Memorial and Washington buildings, was budgeted at about $4 million but came in at $8 million. The bids of the second construction package were rejected last month and officials hope to rebid that proj
ELY –ISD 696 leaders continue to evaluate a book banning request made by a school parent last month, and school board chair Ray Marsnik spoke directly to the Ely community about the issue at …
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ELY SCHOOL DISTRICT Posted
Keith Vandervort
ELY – A new year brings new members to ISD 696 school board. Darren Visser and Hollee Coombe replace two former members who did not seek re-election, Heidi Mann and James Pointer. Board members met recently to re-affirm a number of organizational positions and policies.
Ray Marsnik remains as board chair. Rochelle Sjoberg was re-elected as board clerk and Tom Omerza returns as board treasurer.
While accepting a cost-of-living increase in their stipends for serving on the panel, board members declined to give themselves a raise for serving on board committees.
Keith Vandervort
ELY – ISD 696 School Board members approved the 2021 property tax levy Monday night that shows a 32-percent increase over last year’s levy. The 2021 levy of $2,373,475 is an increase of $576,411 over the 2020 levy of $1,797,064.
District voters approved a $10 million bond in August to help finance a $20 million school building renovation project. Construction is expected to start in the spring.
No taxpayers participated in Monday’s truth-in-taxation public hearing that preceded the board’s unanimous approval of the levy.
Superintendent Erik Erie noted that just 20 percent of the total district revenue for the $8.9 million budget for 2020-2021 comes from the property tax levy. About two-thirds of the district’s revenue, $5,947,131, comes from state sources, and about four percent, $358,390, comes from federal sources.