By:Anthony Rifilato
BOX OFF:
BOND VOTE
Baldwin School District residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to approve a $26.9 million building-improvement bond on Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Baldwin Senior High School.
As the Baldwin Board of Education moves to fund building improvements throughout the district by proposing a $26.9 million bond referendum on Feb. 4, it is clear that whichever way Baldwin residents vote, it will have a dramatic impact on their school district.
If passed, the bond would allow the district to renovate and upgrade its 10 buildings over the next three years, something the board began looking into when the state said it would give school districts less building aid each year.
If the bond is defeated, the district would be forced to rely on the state's new aid formula. Instead of funding school districts for building projects with 54 percent of the projects' costs within a year after they're undertaken, districts are now reimbursed by the state at about 1/15th of the total cost per year for 15 years or more.
"We feel that the bond represents the most cost efficient way to continue to maintain all of our buildings and schools," said school board President James Scannell.
The bond is intended to improve the district's 10 buildings and infrastructure while significantly saving costs and minimizing the tax impact, and the projects are expected to be completed in three years and repaid over 15 years.
The board likened bonding to a homeowner's taking out a home improvement loan. Bonding would allow the district, they said, to complete projects quickly and efficiently at low-interest rates. "Bonding is the cheapest way to do it," said Scannell.
The bond will impact the 2005-06 school budget and raise local taxes about 2 1/2 percent. The board and administrators said that the average annual cost for the entire bond will be less than $138 per year for a home valued at $300,000.
If the bond is defeated, the tax impact stands to be significantly higher, district officials say, because the district would be forced to improve its infrastructure over the years at higher costs for work due to inflation and other factors.
"It's important that everybody recognizes that this is work we're going to have to do," said Scannell. "The impact of funding it through the independent budget could be twice as high."
The board has repeatedly said that the bond is intended to minimize the tax impact of repairs and renovations, reduce costs and enhance resources for students, staff and the community. In the district's Baldwin Beat newsletter last week, residents were given an overview of the bond.
Seventy percent of the bond would be used for facility improvements, which would include replacing outdated boilers, roofs, windows and floors. It would also be used for various interior and exterior renovations, such as heating/ventilation work, telephone system upgrades and entrance repairs throughout the district.
Students and teachers will have better resources and amenities as well. Eighteen percent of the bond would be used for renovations of instructional areas, such as outdated science classrooms at the middle school and high school, and refurbishing a number of fields in the district.
Technology would also get a boost if the bond passes. Ten percent of the bond money would be used to upgrade the district's Internet connections and expand network access, among other projects.
One percent would go toward renovating entrances, including landscaping and irrigation throughout the district.
An additional 10 percent has been set aside as a contingency for any unforeseen costs related to the range of projects.
"It's a very comprehensive list," said Scannell.
Since last October, the board has held informative meetings and heard a number of concerns from those in the community, ranging from how the bond would impact taxes to whether bonding is the cheapest and best way to fund some of the projects.
Some senior citizens and other residents on fixed incomes expressed concern about their taxes increasing, saying that they have already been hit with tax hikes due to the county reassessment and the 19.4 percent rise in property taxes last year.
Some also questioned whether bonding was the best way to fund some of the projects, something the district has been evaluating for some time.
In 2002, the district hired an architectural and engineering firm to recommend improvements needed district-wide, and shortly afterward, a committee was formed in order to look into the work and what items to include in the bond proposal, such as boilers and roofs, and what to omit, like some ceiling work and bathroom repairs. "Routine maintenance was not included," said Edward Cigna, assistant superintendent for business and administrative services. "We're looking at ways we can do it cheaper without a bond."
If the bond is passed next week, the building and architectural plans would be submitted for state approval, followed by a bidding process, but the actual work would not being for about 18 months.
Last week, the bond was endorsed by the Baldwin Council of PTAs, which said in a statement that the bond referendum "will ensure that our children will continue to benefit in the years to come."
"By doing it sooner, there are going to be more kids who use it," said Scannell. "I think people have seen that [the bond] is very equitable."
