By Bridget Nash Staff Writer
The Pioneer-Pleasant Vale school district isn’t one of the smallest in the area, yet its facilities are not up to par with other smaller schools.
“Next to Chisholm and Enid, we’re the third-largest school in the area,” said Pioneer-Pleasant Vale Superintendent Brent Koontz.
The district has a bond issue coming to a vote of patrons Dec. 8. The $5.9 million bond issue, if passed, will remedy many areas where the school district has fallen behind.
One of the main projects the bond issue will tackle is a new gymnasium.
The school’s current gym has a smaller basketball court than other area high school gyms and has a much smaller seating capacity.
Cimarron Public Schools has a gym with a seating capacity of 1,000, Waukomis Public Schools has a gym with a seating capacity of 1,100 and Drummond Public Schools has a gym with a seating capacity of 1,100.
Pioneer-Pleasant Vale’s gym has a seating capacity of 376, the smallest seating capacity in the area. The next largest seating capacity be-longs to Garber Public Schools, with a gym that will seat 500.
“This (gym) is really small and it doesn’t hold all our fans,” said Brett McNaughton, a Pioneer sophomore on the school’s basketball team.
“A lot of people just stand up,” said Haden Hedges, a senior basketball player.
According to coach Bran-don Gallagher, some would-be fans avoid the games altogether, thanks to the small size of the gym.
“People don’t come to the games, they can’t find a seat,” he said.
The team may have fewer people cheering it on at home, but players also face challenges on the road because of the gym’s size.
Most high school’s have basketball courts that are the correct length for collegiate regulations. Pioneer’s gym is 10 feet shorter.
“I think we definitely overcome it,” Gallagher said. “But you can definitely notice (the difference) when we get out on regulation courts.”
The athletes and coaches are not the only ones who will benefit from the construction of a new gym. There also is expected to be a positive effect on academics.
Because all junior high and high school athletic classes and sports must share the current gymnasium, there are certain scheduling conflicts. With an additional gym, the school’s schedule will open up.
“With five coaches freed up to teach a class, we can add five non-athletic classes,” Koontz said.
The flexibility brought by an additional gymnasium also will allow student athletes to concurrently enroll in college or CareerTech courses, which they cannot do currently.
“Athletics interferes with concurrent enrollment (now),” Koontz said.
The gymnasium in the plan is very basic, he said.
“This is not anything fancy,” Koontz said.
The gym is expected to cost $2.2 million of the total $5.9 million.
A new gymnasium is only one part of the school’s proposed bond issue. There are several other aspects of the district that need repair or upgrade.
Part of the $5.9 million will be a separate proposition on the ballot. A transportation proposition worth $800,000, if passed, will not only go toward the purchase of new buses but also will put money back for future bus needs.
“We have old buses,” Koontz said. “The plan is to purchase a couple of buses to immediately affect our bus fleet, then to have money in the account to make purchases as needed.”
Koontz said buses generally cost between $70,000 and $80,000 each.
Other purchases to be made if the bond issue passes are a geothermal heating and cooling system, classroom technology, a security camera system, expanded elementary and high school parking, the addition of an elementary special education classroom, fire sprinklers in the facility, more efficient entry doors and a standing seam metal roof on the high school.
“We have a flat roof,” Koontz said. “This one has been leaking for years and years, and it’s time to repair that.”
The bond issue also will cover some needed repairs, including electrical repairs, plumbing, light fixtures, deteriorating brick, damage caused by roof leaks and some flooring.
“State funds and federal funds do not allow us the proper amount of funds to build or remodel,” Koontz said. “In Oklahoma especially, it has been the taxpayers that have to foot the bill for schools to grow and improve.”
Property owners in the Pioneer-Pleasant Vale district have been paying the lowest millage rate in the area toward their school district.
While Pioneer-Pleasant Vale’s patrons pay 2.8 mills. The next lowest millage rate in the area is 10.17 paid by Covington-Douglas district property owners. The highest millage rate in the area is paid by Garber district property owners, who pay 21.04 mills.
If the bond issue is passed it will increase Pioneer-Pleasant Vale’s millage rate to 11.85.
The annual increase to taxpayers if the bond issue passes will be $9.70 per every $100 in 2010 property taxes paid.
“We have good kids and they do well,” Koontz said. “They deserve better.”
The bond election will be held Dec. 8 for voters in the Pioneer-Pleasant Vale district. A supermajority of 60 percent is needed to pass the bond issue.
