Wendell School District’s existing elementary school, located in Wendell, Idaho, is overcrowded with students. Many other challenges with the 50-year-old school have resulted in plans to build a new elementary school.
In order to build the new school, the Wendell School District is asking the public to support a $9.8 million bond, reports Magic Valley News. The school district has applied for the Quality School Construction Bond program, which will set $5 million of the bond at a zero percent interest rate.
The existing condition of the district’s current elementary school is poor. A fire alarm system needs to be upgraded, there are issues with traffic-flow problems and the tile flooring contains toxic asbestos material.
Asbestos is a highly hazardous material, known to pose a serious health risk when disturbed. Exposure to the material has been known to cause several diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the most aggressive asbestos-related cancer, known to affect 3,000 Americans each year.
Due to a latency period of 10 to 50 years, even the best mesothelioma doctors struggle to diagnose patients in the early stages of their disease. Because of this, many patients face short life expectancy periods. Palliative mesothelioma treatments, including mesothelioma radiation, often extend a patient’s life for a short period of time, but there is no cure.
In order to prevent students’ exposure to the hazardous material, the district would rather build a new school, in hopes of avoiding the issue, as well as other costly challenges.
The district has yet to receive negative feedback from the public, and hope the bond is approved. The program will be financed by federal stimulus dollars.