With only a few days left until voters in the Greene County Community School District head to the polls to decide on the $20 million bond referendum, we look at the cost breakdown.

A new wing at the current elementary building will add classrooms to make it a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade building and is estimated to cost $1.5 million.  The itemized list of expenses include architectural fees, site work, interior renovations and new construction for classrooms and an office area.

The bulk of the bond monies will be used to convert the current high school into a 5th through 12th grade building.  $20.8 million of the $22.5 million budget will be for architectural fees, site work, retrofitting for geothermal, interior finishings and renovations and new construction for a gym, wrestling room, walkway to the wrestling room, fifth through eighth grade classrooms, 9th through 12th grade classrooms, performing arts suite upgrades, a high school office and a district office.

The final $500,000 is for renovating the current middle school gym to detach it from the middle school building and some remodeling to use it for middle school competitions.

In addition to the $20 million bond, the district is proposing using the voter-approved Physical Plant and Equipment Levy for the remaining $2.8 million in expenses.

As for property taxes, the bond would increase the rate $2.70 up to $15.20 per $1,000 valuation.  It is for the taxable valuation, not the assessed valuation of a property.  There are certain rollbacks for residential, commercial and agricultural properties.  The rollbacks are 55.7 percent for residential, 90 percent for commercial and 44.7 percent for agriculture.

Tonight is the final informational meeting about the bond issue at Ram Restaurant at the high school at 6:30pm.