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WEBSTER CITY -- Unofficial election results show that voters in the Webster City School District approved three ballot questions during a VPPEL (Voter-approved Physical Plant and Equipment) levy on Tuesday that sought increased funding to support comprehensive updates to the district's high school building.
District leaders plan to use the money to complete several projects aimed at improving health, safety and accessibility for students. Air conditioning and heating will be installed, undersized classrooms expanded, and a new, secure main entrance added to strengthen the building's security. Several updates will be made to bathrooms, stairways, and walkways to ensure the building fully meets Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. New additions in the educational spaces will also be designed with the help of teachers, administration and members of the public.
"We're so grateful to our community for recognizing the importance of these improvements," said Matt Berninghaus, district superintendent. "These projects are going to ensure that the high school can continue as a safe, healthy and welcoming place for all students to learn."
The proposed projects were identified with the help of community members during multiple public meetings with the district, architects, and construction experts.
Together, the approved questions authorize an increase to the district's voter-approved physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) by 57 cents per $1,000 of taxable valuation for property owners starting in 2028 and through 2031.
An additional increase of 77 cents will bring the PPEL to its maximum allowable amount of $1.34 per $1,000 of valuation in 2031 and remain in place for a 10-year period.
High School Principal Jason Wedgbury said he was pleased and excited about the results.
"It's hard not to feel good. We almost had a super majority, so that was really encouraging," he said, "but obviously 40 percent didn't agree."
The vote, he said, was an affirmation of how the community feels about its kids and teachers. But he recognizes that there are a lot of things to consider that were brought up at the various community meetings.
"We need to get additional feedback," he said, "Our voice has to be from our teachers, the people who are doing the work in the classrooms."
"Ultimately it’s about the needs of the kids of our community, we are not necessarily like other communities," he continued.
Wedgbury said he is not new to the task ahead, working with architects on a construction project.
"When I was in Cedar Falls, I took on a project similar, working with old construction to a new area, similar to this one," he said. "This is the third project I've done, and I'm very familiar with educational design and construction."
The next step, according to Wedgbury, is to come back to the design team and the advisory board.
"It's too soon to say what will be constructed first," Wedgbury said. "But the first step is the educational component. We have to work on the design as we see the needs, and the priority is the academic side of the project."
He indicated that there is a lot of information they have received from the public over the past few months.
"I was certainly encouraged by the results," he continued. "There is going to be a lot of work. We are going to consider all the feedback we have received, and we need to honor that."
"We have to be good stewards of taxpayer money," he said.
School board President Dave Stokes responded by texts.
"Now the real work begins," he said. "Time to get the most bang for the buck."
Hamilton County Auditor Kim Schaa said the turnout for a special election was exceptional.
"I believe it went very smoothly; we only had a minor problem with a laptop, but that was it," she said.
Once the polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday, the voting remained pretty constant.
"The election officials were pretty tired last night," she said, "We had a good crew."
The crew that handled the Ed Prince Building included Diane Doering and Linda Hutchinson- co-chairs, Jennifer McCollough, Laura Hoversten, Karyl Bonjour, Barb Ainger and Linda Davidson.