By Derrick ForsytheRecord Staff WriterWith the filing deadline approaching for the April 2016 election, the Warren County R-III School District is in the final stages of planning for its proposed no-tax-increase bond issue.The board was presented with a master planning update during its monthly meeting Dec. 10. The adjusted blueprint included changes the board decided to make during a special workshop it held Dec. 1 to discuss the project in detail.Most prominent among the goals during that work session was the prioritizing of projects based upon taxpayers’ feedback through surveys and the district’s budget capacity of $10 million allotted for this project.“Overall, what they decided were the guaranteed projects that are of highest priority,” said Superintendent Dr. Jim Chandler. “Those would be related to entrances for safety and security and technology upgrades. HVAC projects could also be included, because they are health-related.”In order to stay within the budget confines, the board decided to move some of the lower priority projects into a Phase II category to be completed at a later date.Remaining high on the list were the construction of security vestibules at Warrior Ridge and Rebecca Elementary School, Black Hawk Middle School and the high school. The addition of a practice gymnasium at the high school — the most costly part of the project at $4,320,000 — also remained a priority.“We prioritized the security issues and the gym, because we’ve got so many sports going on and it’s hard for each of our programs to get gym time,” said Board President Teresa Scott.With the adjusted planning format presented by Hoener Associates, Inc., the total conceptual cost is $12,122,000. Chandler says that figure is an over-estimate and the final plan will allow for adjustments as the project unfolds.“The ballot language is going to specify the projects we are guaranteeing and have the others prioritized as the money might become available,” said Chandler. “That figure would be a highest-case scenario.”This bond issue includes renovations or additions to eight different district properties, instead of the original nine, after it was decided to move improvements to the entryway and parking lot of the central office into Phase II.Also being shifted into the Phase II category was the relocation of the library and creation of a multi-purpose area at Daniel Boone Elementary.At the high school, lighting for the baseball field, countdown clocks and resurfacing for the track were all moved into Phase II.It also was determined that some of the projects could be completed by the school district itself. These included roofing replacements at Black Hawk Middle School and the data center.“We looked at those as standalone projects that could be bid at the local level as part of the capital expense budget,” added Scott.One other significant change was the removal of the transforming the wood floor gym at Daniel Boone Elementary into an auditorium for performances. That project was marked for consideration as part of future projects at the high school.“As a board, we decided that would be something that would get more use at the high school,” said Scott. “Since we are already looking for gym space, it didn’t seem right to give up gym space we already have. It was decided it would make more sense if it were at the high school.”In regards to the time line on those Phase II projects, Scott says there is no specific date, but the district did have to consider the possibility of proposing another bond issue if the need for another elementary school arose. The board has one more special workshop planned before it will look to approve the ballot language during its next regular meeting Jan. 14.Warren Co. R-III School District