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
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| 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 |
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.
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