Even more new schools likely needed in future

May 5, 2006

JOEL DAVIDSON

Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - With an increase of 500 to 600 new Mat-Su students forecast every year, it's only a matter of time before area residents are again asked to vote on the construction of more schools.

Mat-Su's chief school administrator, Bob Doyle, called Tuesday's special election for a new school bond a great success for education. Voters approved a $39.7 million package, which allows the borough to build two new elementary schools and conduct renovations to Wasilla High and Wasilla Middle schools.

A new school in the Settlers Bay area is expected to open in October 2007, with a new school also planned for the south Palmer area. By then, however, the borough likely will have an additional 1,000 students or more added to the mix.

&#8220I think we are set for a while,” Doyle said Thursday. &#8220My concern is with the tax cap and the pressure on property owners. We need to sit down with the borough and talk about long-term plans for how we are going to pay for our infrastructure.”

Borough Public Works Director Keith Rountree said the borough is working to develop a construction timeline for a school in the Settlers Bay area.

&#8220We are still working on the details,” he said. &#8220Knowing that, the date of October 2007 has been promised for when the school would open.”

Rountree said he's waiting to hear back from consultants as to the suitability of land that was donated to the borough to construct a school in Settlers Bay. Road access and questionable drainage have raised questions about whether the area is suited for a school.

&#8220I expect to hear back about that at the end of the week,” Rountree said.

Assembly member Jim Colver is the chairman for the School Site Selection Committee, which meets again next week to discuss locations for the future schools. Colver said there is currently no land available for the Palmer-area school, an issue he hopes to settle by asking residents to sell or donate property to the borough.

Ultimately, Colver said it is important to break ground on the school as soon as possible to fulfill voter expectations for a new school by fall 2007.

&#8220My intent is to stay with the scheduled promise to voters,” he said. &#8220The argument given to voters is that we would save a whole year by getting a fall start on construction this year. I don't want to see that slip.”

The Settlers Bay-area school is expected to relieve heavy overcrowding at Goose Bay Elementary, where increased portables and growing classrooms have pushed the facility to the limit.

In the meantime, school district officials plan to move additional portable classrooms to Goose Bay to buy time until a new facility comes on line.

&#8220Portables will hold them over for a year,” said school district information specialist Kim Floyd. &#8220Staff at Goose Bay is excellent, and we are confident they will do a good job next year. It helps that there is now an actual school on the horizon.”

For now, Doyle said he is pleased that voters approved the school bond, but he's not sure when they will need to approve more facilities.

&#8220I'm not planning anything more right now,” he said. &#8220We will just have to go from here. I don't have a crystal ball.”

Contact Joel Davidson at

352-2266 or joel.davidson@

frontiersman.com.