(Bedford) -- Bedford school officials are hoping to take the next step in the district's facilities improvement plan.
Voters in the Bedford School Districts go to the polls November 4th on an $11.5 million bond issue. If approved by the necessary 60% supermajority, the proceeds would cover construction of a new competitive gym into the K-12 complex's secondary wing, and a new loading dock in back of the building. Speaking on KMA's "Morning Line" program Monday morning, Bedford and Mount Ayr School Superintendent Jason Schaffer says the new gym would replace the existing main gym constructed in the 1980s, and a secondary gym that's more than a century old.
"Right now, our capacity is 600," said Schaffer, "which in our current conference, the Corner Conference, does rank us the smallest gym in all the schools there. Our second gym could probably hold about 150. Most other schools have a second gym--I think all but one--and they're a little more adequate and usable for today's secondary competitions--junior high and so forth."
While saying the proposed new gym won't exceed the district's needs, Schaffer says it would offer increased capacity and amenities.
"It would be connected to the current gym," he said. "The two combined would give us a great opportunity for kids in both academic classes and athletic competitions as far as holding larger venues and providing a good flow between the two gyms and providing a good viewing for fans when they come in. We would have kind of a top-loading feature that would have restrooms and concessions right there--a little more accessible for everybody."
Schaffer says the new loading dock behind the secondary school would provider for easier and safer deliveries.
"Primarily, the main reason for that is, right now, we're getting deliveries at the front doors," said Schaffer. "It's a little bit of a push around the corners to get items to us up the slopes, then come around through our main doors. We kind of plug up the parking and the flow of traffic up front when we do have our deliveries. So, the loading dock would be built on the back, and would have a door directly into our food service, which would make a lot of ease there."