School bond passing with overwhelming support

Last week, South Bend voters affirmed our need and opportunity to build a new elementary school.  The vote resulted in a 74.9% YES decision and will be certified on May 4.  Though we felt good about the prospects of passing the school bond, the overwhelming voter support shown last week was nothing short of amazing.  

As of last Tuesday, South Bend was the only school district in the state to pass their school bond on the April ballot.  Others are counting ballots still today to try and reach the difficult 60% 'yes' margin.  

I am thankful to live and work in a community that so strongly supports its schools.  As I told our staff last week, I believe the overwhelming community support is a testament to the great job our teachers and school staff do with kids.  As superintendent, I am extremely proud of our school district and our community's support.

A big thank you is well deserved for our community, as well as to the following folks who tirelessly worked on our facility committee to bring this project to our voters.  These people include:  Mike Morris, Gary Wilson, Kresta Byington, Amy Nelson, Tom Sanchez, Cheryl Green, Ryan McMurry, Andy Seaman, Mindi Passolt, and Jewel Crow.  Mike Morris deserves additional recognition for his efforts as bond campaign chair.  His help and assistance was extremely valuable, and we are very thankful for all his work.  Finally, our school board of directors deserve credit and recognition for their vision and allowing us to explore innovative funding with the state.  Thanks to Senator Dean Takko, Representative Brian Blake, and Representative Jim Walsh for their continued efforts and persistence in helping us secure funding assistance.

Now the real work begins.

Several folks are asking about next steps.  Below is a summary of where we go from here:

1.  We will hire architects, engineers, and project managers within the next several weeks.  In late March we advertised an RFQ in the Seattle Journal of Commerce to solicit applications for these services.  We have been talking with several firms which will lead to our selections very soon.

2.  As soon as we have architects and a project management firm, we will begin design.  The design process will involve staff and community members, and will take 7-8 months.  There are many facets to the project that need to happen before we select a general contractor.

3.  Our goal is to be ready to go out to bid (for general contractor) by January, 2019.  

4.  We hope to break ground early next Spring, 2019.  Part of the design process will be determining the most cost effective time to start building.  

5.  The project is estimated to take 12-15 months.  We will stay in Chauncey Davis during construction.  Ideally, the new building will be complete toward the end of the 19-20 school year.  We would then move into the new building and demolish the old that summer, which will also be the time we complete the new bus loop/parking area.

The above steps will also involve coordination with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as we move through the review/approval processes.  As with most major construction projects, timelines can vary...  We will do our very best to ensure the project progresses in a defined and organized manner, and that the end product is something that will make our community proud.

Again, many thanks to our South Bend community for your trust and support.  It is a privilege to live and work in South Bend.

 

New elementary school for SB?

An important vote on April 24th:  South Bend's new elementary school opportunity

When I was hired as superintendent almost four years ago, one of the questions being asked was how the district might move forward on addressing the Chauncey Davis elementary building.  Even though the district maintains its buildings and grounds well, it's a challenge to expect an elementary school approaching 70 years of age to meet the safety and learning needs of our students.  Knowing this, the school board and I began looking into possibilities.

Current school building issues

Supplies and equipment moved to "high-ground" in this picture of yearly flooding at Chauncey Davis.

The first thing we did was to complete a state required study & survey of the old school building, which consisted of an architectural/engineering firm studying all building components and infrastructure.  This process resulted in an overall building "condition" score that was then reported to the state.  The study included an in-depth review of:  building architecture, structural and civil systems, mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems, and heating & ventilation, among others.  Every aspect and component of the Chauncey Davis school building was studied.  After completing the study, the overall building condition score was evaluated as "poor".   Though a low score is common with schools this old, it was obvious we had reached the point of needing significant improvements.

Staff cleaning up flood water in 2015

 Funding Issues

South Bend School District has been and remains a good steward of public resources, and we are thankful for our community's trust and generosity.  The board and I knew as soon as we explored the costs needed for the elementary school, both remodeling and building new, the financial burden would be overbearing---not even possible.  To make matters even more complicated, we found that because the total assessed property values are so low within South Bend School District, we were legally ineligible to raise enough money (through a bond) to build a new school on our own.   Even a remodel of the current building was beyond our reach.  Due to the extensive structural needs and required building code enhancements, combined with the need to temporarily "house" both our K-6 students and campus kitchen/cafeteria during construction, the cost differences of remodeling vs. building new were negligible.  Even so, a remodeled building would still be below the floodplain.  It was clear we needed a way to build a new school.  

 

Unprecedented opportunity

Our community received a life-line from the State Legislature this last January.  After two plus years of telling our story and communicating our need to Olympia, we received capital funding of over $11 million dollars to build our new elementary school.  This money includes a one-time special appropriation and matching funds that allow us to build a new school with an unusually low bond amount.  When two years ago we faced an impossibility, we are now faced with an opportunity:  the ability to build a new school for less than a third of the cost if we were to do the project without the special funding.  The money raised through the $4.95 million-dollar bond will provide the remaining funds to build South Bend a completely new elementary school at a fraction of the cost.

Concept of new elementary school built behind Chauncey Davis.

Most people who know construction know that as years pass by costs go up.  Not addressing our need now would most likely result in a much more expensive project for the future, and we will not have our special state funding to help.   Prior to this opportunity, I have never seen a small, rural school like ours receive state funding to this extent.  The new elementary school will cost $16 million dollars and the state is paying 70% of these costs---certainly something to consider.

Tax cuts coming

Another unanticipated and positive development for taxpayers is the recent law change related to M&O school levies.  Next tax year (2019) South Bend taxpayers will see a 60% school tax cut in our maintenance & operations levy, resulting in a drop of $2.25 per thousand of assessed values.  If voters approve the bond needed to build the school, the bond rate needed will add just $.81 cents to the tax bill.  With a drop of $2.25 and an "add" of $.81 cents, taxpayers will pay less than they are right now---even with the new school.  As an example, a house assessed at $100,000 will see a tax cut of $225 dollars and an "add" of $81 dollars---this is a net decrease of $144 dollars from current taxes.

Putting it all together, we have the opportunity to address the severe needs of Chauncey Davis Elementary, which include worn out infrastructure, earthquake susceptibility, yearly flooding, and school safety provisions.  Our opportunity is a brand-new school, and comes with a local cost much lower than what most other communities pay.  Finally, total school taxes with the new bond in place will be less than what they are now.

Final questions

Ballots were mailed on April 6 and voters must return their marked ballots by April 24.  If anyone has questions about this project, please feel free to contact me at 360-875-6041.  You can also contact any of our board members:  Steve Rogers, Chuck Spoor, Todd Strozyk, Dave Eastham, or Andy Seaman.  Others who have information include Mike Morris, Gary Wilson, and principal Kresta Byington.  You can also find information online at bit.ly/newsouthbendelementary.

Thank you for your serious consideration on this important opportunity for South Bend kids.