Voters in Marcola approved a bond of $7.82 million dollars. The money will go towards an elementary school at a new location closer to the high school so they can share staff and resources.
The current school is structurally unsound. The heating system was so damaged that water was coming out of the electrical outlets. Superintendent Bill Watkins explains how they improvised with a Herman Nelson heater, propane and a tube.
“The tube runs the full length of the hallway. Just a plastic tube has holes punctured into it. That’s what heats the building right now”
Watkins says there was one particular group who made this bond a success.
“We have senior citizens volunteering their time in our elementary school reading with kids. I think most of them were appalled at the conditions. The bond was passed on the backs of senior citizens and I just commend them”
The new elementary school in Marcola is projected to be finished by fall of 2016.