School districts are often searching for the next best thing, and for the Ankeny Community School District (ACSD), that means new facilities funded through a General Obligation (G.O.) bond.

“The G.O bond is, I believe, the responsible way to use our funds to renovate and build new facilities for our school district,” Superintendent Dr. Erick Pruitt said. “PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy) and save, I believe, should be dedicated towards the upkeep and maintenance of our facilities here in the district.”

The district gets revenue from different avenues, one being PPEL and save, a voter approved tax that is generally put towards maintenance. The district can also receive money through a G.O. bond which is similar to a long term loan in the way that it has to be paid back over time.

PPEL is one aspect that goes into school property tax and will not be impacted by the G.O. bond along with the general fund and a management fund. What may be impacted by the bond is the district debt levy tax which is what is used to pay back bonds.

According to Pruitt, “our debt service levy will not go above $2.59,” although that is the only part of the property tax the district can influence.

According to the district’s ten-year plan the $130 million bond encompasses many aspects, but the big ticket item is the innovation hub. The hub will be accompanied by an athletic performance center, fine arts improvements, and additional building enhancements. Community members will be able to vote for or against the bond on the Nov. 4 ballot.

“With this current bond, because the board just voted to put it on the ballot, the petition can’t change,” Pruitt said. “How we describe the funds are going to be utilized is the way we have to utilize those funds. However after Nov. 4, if the community is ready to begin talking about the next bond that we could potentially bring in 2029 or 2030 we can begin having those conversations as soon as our community is ready to have [them.]”

G.O. bonds are usually used in a response to growth, and this can be seen when G.O. bonds were utilized in 2012 and 2018. Due to the previous growth the district was having, there were discussions of a third high school but growth rates have been stabilizing. This led to the idea of the innovative hub which would be able to increase services offered to students, with a goal of preparing students for the workforce.

“I think that we’re in a time now where our families are wanting choice. They like options, and so it’s my job as a superintendent to make sure that we make a compelling reason why families would want to choose their public school in the city that they live in,” Pruitt said. “So it’s not about the physical buildings. It’s about the programs in those physical buildings, but then also how we’re supporting all kids.”

Discussion for the innovation hub, athletic performance center, and fine arts improvements have been happening for around eighteen months. There have been sessions to plan courses that have been attended by teachers, students, industry professionals, and parents alike.

“The district doesn’t have the money sitting there saying, ‘well, if we don’t get the G.O. bond passed, we’ll just pull it out of our savings account and spend it.’ If the G.O. bond doesn’t pass, then the Innovation Hub doesn’t pass, and then all those things that were designed for the activities programs at the two feeders would not be done, they would be put on hold,” Ankeny High School athletic director Mike Bakker said.

The impact on future generations of students

If these facilities are able to be built, current high school students will most likely be graduated by the time they can be used. In Bakker’s case, that means his own kids will not benefit.

“It’s really the kids who are in kindergarten through seventh grade who are going to get the maximum benefit to start,” Bakker said. “[But] for me, it’s not about what my kids are going to get. It’s about what the future kids are going to have an opportunity to use.”

Due to the G.O. bond, newcomers down the line may not feel the same restraints of limited practice facilities that current students are facing. The girls golf team starts practicing for their season in Feb. and due to the weather they are usually inside a classroom that houses two golf simulators.

“Spring golf is hard when it’s always raining and it’s always snowing. [And] because we start our season in February, we have to start in the simulators,” AHS junior Catherine Nelson said. “Having more simulators and having a wider area would help the golf team practice more, get better, and probably bring home more victories.”

“You come up here on most nights we have in the winter, if we don’t have a sporting event going on, we have an open field for soccer. We’ve got people throwing softballs in Southview, the baseball team is over at Parkview,” Bakker said. “If we’re able to pull those out and put them into the performance enhancement center, that opens up gym space. Maybe color guard can come in here and practice without ever having to worry about competing with soccer.”

Other activities, besides athletics, will also benefit from the additional space. Bakker mentioned by pulling athletes into the performance center it will open the gym for robotics competitions. Or if the weather is not cooperating, the marching band can march inside the gym or on the indoor turf and do half shows.

“So being creative to use a facility like that then maximizes opportunities for our kids to get in their practice time and to take out some of the wear and tear on our gym space is good for the long term health,” Bakker said.

If the bond passes, the band will also be able to get some improvements in the fine arts area of the school. Pruitt explained how both high schools will get 5,000 square feet of additional classroom space and 1,000 square feet of additional storage space.

Bakker also explained how while the auditorium is in need of some renovations, with the current bond there is not enough money to put towards that. Instead they will focus on improving the lights, sound system, and sound shells.

“No one is going to get everything they want, but if everyone gets some of what they want, then we’re moving in the right direction,” Bakker said. “Then that means the next G.O. bond the group who didn’t get as much this time gets more the next time. Because now there’s not $60 million needed for an innovation hub, and suddenly, there’s $120 million to spend on the next thing, maybe that’s the auditorium.”

The innovation hub utilizes the greatest amount of money from the bond. The goal is for it to be a facility that has specialized courses for a variety of career fields, allowing students to connect with industry professionals before they graduate.

“The difference that we’re trying to bring to this facility is how we partner and integrate our industry partners in the learning with our kids,” Pruitt said. “I think because Orbis is going to be there, it just provides a lot of opportunities for the businesses that we have already partnered with. [We are] optimistic to expand those partnerships into the Metro by bringing different types of professionals from different areas to expose our kids to.”

It seems like everyday students are moving faster through the world and life. In the past, Ankeny has had students graduate with associate degrees, or certificates to go straight into the workforce.

“I feel as though with more and more jobs coming out, and more issues in the world, it’s important to get a head start on allowing these kids to have an opportunity to explore different things,” AHS junior Catherine Nelson said. “See what fits them, see where they want to go, because then in the future, in five-ten years those kids will know what they’re doing, they’ll have more experience and they’ll be ready to take charge.”

If built, the innovative hub will be located in the south parking lot of Northview. Meals will be served, and transportation will be provided for students who need it. Not only will new programs be added but existing ones will move there in order to give them more space.

Pruitt further explained how the hub is strategic compared to a third high school due to how staffing may play out.
“If we are really smart about how we roll these programs out, we can actually start the hub with the staff that we currently have,” Pruitt said.

Some high schoolers are asked to dream of what their career may look like, but it seems that with the hub, students will have the chance to live it, not just dream of it. Some may figure out that it is the perfect path for them, while others may come to the conclusion they need to explore elsewhere.

“We want our kids to be successful, and we want to offer options to them that are attractive, and we want to be responsive to what our kids are telling us that they want to take that leads them to the pathways that they want to pursue,” Pruitt said.