USD 251 North Lyon County’s process towards public votes on new facilities is moving forward.
Part of a special board meeting Monday included an update on the better than $31 million in bonds designed to fund a new high school in Americus and an athletics complex near the community. Board Chair Matt Horton read a statement saying the district handled all the legal steps needed to surpass the state’s 14-percent bond limit compared to total assessed valuation, including public notice of intent before a vote earlier this month as well as a formal application to be submitted to the Kansas State Department of Education and a review said application. Horton says the district has confirmation its process is valid from its bond counsel, the Department of Education and the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Horton did not comment further. The full statement can be found below.
The statement followed an accusation from board member Gary Heine the district was not taking legally-accepted steps on the bonds, saying the bond should have been capped at $14.6 million due to the district’s total valuation at $104.3 million. USD 251 is working through legal processes allowed by KSA 72-5457 through 72-5461 to modify the cap amount.
Heine has not commented on the update.
A related move had the board vote 5-2 to sell the Northern Heights school building if the bonds are successful. Heine and Angie Brotz voted against.
Separately, board members decided reluctantly to go from a Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plan through its consortium partner, Greenbush, to a self-pay plan — also through Greenbush but using UnitedHealthcare as the provider. Superintendent Bob Blair says this was not the route the board wanted to take.
Blair says the board considered a Blue Cross plan that was not in a group setting but rejected that option because of a potential spike in costs if employees come down with major illnesses.
The new plan will also include a third-party administrator and a pharmacy benefit manager. There is also a stop-loss component.
Blair says the district is keeping premiums at slightly over $600 for employees and staff won’t pick up any additional costs with the new insurance plan.
Statement from USD 251 North Lyon County Board Chair Matt Horton
