Plan to make a good plan

Several years ago, the New Prague Area Schools began updating its long term facilities plan. The plan, looked at each of the district’s buildings and identified the strengths and weaknesses of its facilities. The results can be seen now, as construction has begun on an addition to the middle school, with more construction ready to begin soon at the Central Education Campus, along with smaller projects at Falcon Ridge Elementary and eventually, the district’s transportation facility.

These projects were the result of many hours of study, a collaboration of stakeholders throughout the school district and hard work on the part of consultants, district staff and committee members. It resulted in a bond referendum that passed by a significant margin and will create new facilities that current and future residents of the school district will be able to utilize for years to come.

This week’s edition of The Times reports on a public meeting scheduled for April 26 in which the New Prague city Council will discuss various projects that the city may wish to undertake in the near and distant future. These projects include, but are not limited to, an upgraded outdoor swimming facility, new park facilities and athletic fields and other city facilities.

The school district took a slow, deliberate approach to look at what was needed and built the support within the community to help pass a referendum to meet those needs.

More than 15 years ago the city put together a plan for new athletic fields to be built south of town. Stakeholders never bought into that plan and it was defeated soundly in a referendum. Today, that land remains farmland, and little has been done to address the need for more athletic fields in the years since.

The Times urges city leaders to carefully work with many groups to develop a plan that will not only identify and prioritize what needs to happen, but then, as the district did, work to build a consensus among residents to support these projects.

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