School pays off pool bonds early

    School board members voted Tuesday to pay off general obligation bonds for their share of the pool, bathhouse and parking lot built together with the city of Imperial.
    Supt. Adam Lambert said COVID-related funds Chase County Schools received helped defray other costs at the school, allowing them to pay off their bond balance early.
    The motion, passed 8-0, closes out Chase County Schools’ pool bond obligation in the amount of $246,729.28, which includes payments and interest, Lambert said.
    CCS was scheduled to continue annual payments until Dec. 15, 2028.
    In August, the CCS board approved a resolution which set in motion the payoff, followed by Imperial Community Facilities Agency action in September, approving the school’s early repayment. The agency was formed so the school and city could build the pool complex/parking lot together and share costs.
    Agency members include Administrator/Clerk Jo Leyland and council member Chad Yaw, representing the city, and Lambert and board member Jeff Olsen from CCS.
    Leyland said the city has the same final payment due date as CCS had in December 2028.
    In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted to change wording in school policy to match up with what’s in the activity handbook regarding dances and who can attend.
    Board members and Supt. Lambert discussed dates for a board retreat in October or November.
    The board met in closed session for a little over an hour discussing potential litigation and negotiations.