The 15-year 1.98 mill Bond Issue on the ballot will raise $4.7 million for improvements, renovations and additions to school facilities. If passed, it will add $58 a year to the property taxes of a residential property with a valuation of $100,000. The Bond Issue is a part of a $6.3 million proposed capital improvement plan for district facilities which includes a $1.6 million dollar HB 264 plan. The renovations done under the HB 264 plan will be paid over a 15 year time period by the savings realized on energy conservation improvements. Work on this part of the plan should begin in October and will not require any increase in property taxes.
After identifying the necessary upgrades and the cost of the upgrades that remained in the district’s 6 year Capital Improvement Plan after eliminating those projects included in the HB 264 project, the Board of Education and district administration began work to develop and present the proposed Bond Issue project to the residents of the district.The Bond Issue approach to acquiring financing for the project is more attractive than a Permanent Improvement levy in that the school district will be able to acquire the required financing immediately. This will allow all of the work included in the proposed Bond Issue project to be completed by the beginning of the 2014-15 school year.
The proposed projectscovered by the Bond Issue include roof replacement, replacement of inefficient Heating/AC units, ventilation and their controls, pavement replacement including possible traffic flow enhancements for Brent ES and Whitaker ES, technology upgrades and building security upgrades. Also, approximately 20% of the Bond Issue project is dedicated for improvements to the William R. Swartzel Performing Arts Center. These include reconditioning the seats, lighting upgrades, heating/AC and ventilation upgrades, roof replacement and converting the building from electric to natural gas as the primary source of power for heating and cooling.
A primary purpose for the proposed Bond Issue project plan and HB 264 initiative is to upgrade and modernize district facilities in a manner that will allow the district realize financial savings over time.