HAWARDEN, Iowa (KCAU)– For the past three years West Sioux has attempted to pass a school bond. However, due to concerns voters have said no. Now after help from the community, school officials are now asking voters to pass their $15.5 million bond.

“In Ireton, there will be a new wing and replacing the old wing, so we’ll be able to build while we’re still in school there. In Hawarden, here we’re going to redo the classrooms and infrastructure as far as heat and utilities,” said Gary Witt, with the committee for the Betterment of West Sioux Community School District.

“When you send your own kids to school you need to make sure that not only they have a great education by the teachers, you need to be able to have a facility that can be very consistent with their heating and cooling systems. So for example when i send my child to Ireton I should be able to know that the heat is going to be on and not have to make sure that there’s three sweatshirts in their backpack,” Mollie Koopmans, the instructional coach at West Sioux Elementary Schools.

But heating isn’t the only concern faculty have for both elementary schools.

“We have several students who have accessibility needs, some mobility concerns, and we do not unfortunately have locations that are accessible for all of these students,” said Megan State, special education teacher at West Sioux Elementary Schools.

“We are really packing in Ireton space and we have in Hawarden space to. There are teachers that are very confined spaces and we have students going in and out of them every minute,” said Koopmans.

School officials hope voters will approve the bond…

“Maybe our water will be constantly on so we don’t have to walk across to the community center to go to the bathroom because that’s been a problem in the past,” said State.

“It’ll provide a facility that students can learn in a safe place and also have the best environment for them,” said Koopmans.

West Sioux needs 60% of voters to say yes on November 7th, if the school doesn’t reach that goal Witt said board officials will try again next year despite increasing construction prices.