Central volunteers have a dream

By Mary Lou Hinrichsen
Herald Staff Writer

May 14, 2008 10:14 am

— WELTON — A grassroots group of community volunteers is reaching out to the small towns of the Central School District in an effort to explain their dream.
Calling themselves the Saber Team for Arts and Recreation (STAR), the volunteers hope to finance an auditorium and a new competition-level gymnasium at the 50-year-old Central Community High School in DeWitt.
Team member Joe Dierckx told the Welton City Council the group was not present at a recent council meeting to solicit money, but to get facts about the project out to the community.
“We need to let your people know” what the plan is. “If you hear any negative information, we’d love to have you come to us so we can address it,” he said. “We don’t need any misleading information out in the community.”
He said the group would also be speaking to councils in Low Moor and Grand Mound and to various groups in DeWitt.
The school has never had an auditorium, Dierckx said, and the 50-year-old gymnasium is inadequate for the 650 students currently enrolled.
“We think it’s time we can do better,” he said.
Partners in the effort are the Central Community School District, the city of DeWitt, the DeWitt parks and recreation department, Genesis Medical Center in DeWitt, the Central Education Foundation, Saber Athletic Boosters, Central Music Boosters, DeWitt Area Fine Arts Foundation and DeWitt Community Foundation.
The planned auditorium would seat 800 people and could be used for school district and community events, such as plays, musicals and concerts. In addition, the district would be able to host local, regional and state events. Ample room is planned for theater sets, band and vocal music equipment and instruments. The 1,800-seat gymnasium would be a community facility, available for adult education classes, coaching clinics, conference tournaments, dances, fitness classes, tae kwon do, tumbling and yoga.
The two facilities would be built on the east side of the current high school, according to Pat Henricksen, executive director of the Central Community Education Foundation. Between them, she said, would be a giant atrium with space to showcase student work and for individual and team Hall of Fame displays. The Frevert-Ramsey-Kobes architectural firm of Des Moines has estimated the cost of the complex at about $10 million, assuming a spring 2010 construction start, with an inflation factor of 3 percent a year.
From $3 million to $5 million of the estimated cost is expected to come from private or in-kind sources; $5 million to $7 million is projected from the current one cent local option sales tax.
Other needs in the district also are recognized by the STAR group, including expansion of Ekstrand Elementary School, a middle school band room and expanded high school technology facilities.
A $13 million bond issue for completion of those needs would be determined by the district board of directors.