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Blue Ridge Voters To Decide Fate of Mansfield Facility Proposal

This is the last day for voters and residents in the Blue Ridge district to learn more about the Bond proposal on the ballot for next week.

The Blue Ridge Board of Education for the Blue Ridge School District will be seeking the approval of the voters to approve bonds of up to $6.7 million to be put towards the elimination of the grade school and adding on to the Jr. High School. Susan Wilson, Superintendent of the Blue Ridge School district explains the total cost of the project will be a little more than $8-million after some Health/Life Safety issues are addressed.

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According to Wilson, the cost of the Health/Life Safety items do not have to be taken care of prior to the building being built, but she feels taking care of them as a part of the current bond would be better than in another year or two coming back and asking the voters to approve more bonds. The Health/Life Safety items are replacement of the roof, remove the chimney, replace the boiler and hot water system and replace the septic system.

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The district has been planning on an interest rate of just over 5-percent. Wilson explains they have recently received word the bond rates have dropped by whole percentage points, which is quite significant. She says this will save tax payers quite a bit of money and will not be as much of a tax increase as they originally were planning on.

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Thursday is the final day for voters and residents in the district  to attend an informational meeting and take a tour of the Mansfield facility and get an idea of what the district would like to do. Tours of the building will be held Thursday from 3 until 6 pm and an informational meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

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