Why is the district requesting voter approval of bond issues at a time of economic uncertainty?
One reason is that the school district is a “forever” owner of school facilities. The district is a steward of the taxpayers’ investment. This stewardship includes continual responsibilities, some of which are: • design and construct facilities with durability, • care for facilities through preventative maintenance and a committed custodial program, • extend facilities’ functional life so long as it remains cost effective, • reconfigure existing facilities to support changing educational programs and their technologies, and • design flexibility into new and renewed facilities to accommodate education changes over a facility’s 50-year life. Another reason is that the state has committed to project reimbursements of 60-70 percent. This means taxpayers only have to pay 30-40 cents on the dollar for projects that are funded through the bonding process. Projects funded through other means do not qualify for debt reimbursement.
