2007 bond issue: Antelope renovations

Years have gone by and generations of students have passed through Antelope Union High School, but some things haven't changed - and they need to, the district's superintendent says.

Built in 1953, the high school is well-maintained but there are some areas that need serious repairs and others just need to be upgraded, said Robert Klee, district superintendent.

In Tuesday's general election, voters in the Antelope Union High School District will be asked to approve a $2.75 million bond issue to pay for repairs and upgrades.

The major projects that the bond would fund are:

-Repair and upgrade of the campus fire suppression system.

-Construction of a new 2,000-square-foot building to house a new chemistry/physics classroom and lab. The current facility is "simply obsolete," Klee said. "In order for us to be able to provide a quality program for our students we need a new facility."

-Renovation of the 54-year-old school library by adding a technology learning center. The renovations will bring it "up to the new century," Klee said.

-Purchase of five new school buses to replace old ones in the fleet.

-Renovation of boys and girls restrooms, which were part of the original school construction.

-Replacement of stadium lights and improvement in the more than 30-year-old athletic facility. Currently, the stadium lacks about 40 percent of its lighting capacity during athletic events because replacement parts are no longer made, Klee said.

-Repavement of sidewalks that have been cracked by uprooted trees that are meant to provide shade. This has created uneven sidewalks, making them potentially dangerous to walk on, he said.

The bond money would be divided in the following way:

-$1.2 million would fund renovations and new construction.

-$1 million would fund site and athletic improvements.

-$500,000 would fund new transportation vehicles.

The bond issue, if passed, would increase the tax bill for the owner of a $100,000 home by $3.91 per month, according to Stone and Youngberg, the bond underwriting firm for the district.

Klee said that like everything else, the school has inevitably aged and must be upgraded to provide for the safety of students and the quality of their education.

The school is good, he said. "We've kept it up but things need to be replaced so that we can continue to operate the building at the standards that our kids deserve."

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Juana M. Gyek can be reached at

jgyek@yumasun.com or 539-6872.