THE TRANSPARENCY TEMPLATE

This link on the DPS website is dedicated to real-time questions that arise throughout the bond campaign.  This link will be updated as new questions arise.  Please feel free to email me at sherry.labyer@duncanps.org with your questions.

Check out the link for Frequently Asked Questions regarding the 2010 bond campaign.

Will the bond issue double my taxes?

No, it will be roughly a 10% increase from the amount you currently pay in ad valorem/property taxes.

Does the superintendent benefit financially from the bond issue?

No, salaries, stipends or bonuses of any nature may not be paid with bond funds.

What will happen to the existing schools when the elementary students move to the united campus?

Emerson Elementary will become the Early Learning Childhood Center and Irving Elementary will house three year old students in collaboration with Delta Head Start.  Pending board approval, we have plans for one existing elementary school to become a future transportation center for the district and we hope to collaborate with Gabriel's House to be housed in one of our smaller buildings.  We will sell the property and land for Horace Mann, Plato, and Woodrow Wilson Elementary.  All vacated facilities will be maintained, yards mowed, and kept by DPS until they are sold or utilized for other purposes. 

When will the construction begin on the new elementary schools and renovation to Duncan High School and extracurricular facilities?

Then plans are to begin construction/groundbreaking August 2010.

Are bond funds going to be used to build an indoor practice facility?

No, we will not use bond funds to build an indoor practice facility.  We will address critical needs first vs. wants and this is not a critical need.

Will transportation costs increase significantly locating the elementary campuses on the west side of town?

We currently transport more than 1,800 students daily and expect to add a modest amount of routes, approximately 2-3 to accommodate this move.

Why not pass a sales tax instead of a bond issue; everyone pays sales tax?

Regardless of your status as a home owner or renter, everyone pays property taxes consistent with the value of their home.  An increase in sales tax could encourage buyers to go to other communities to purchase goods and services.  The belief is that we don’t need to encourage people to shop elsewhere. 

Why are we voting both the united elementary campus project and renovations to Duncan High School as one initiate rather than voting on them separately?

By combing the projects on one bond vote we are able to get a more competitive construction price, the age of the buildings are 50-60 years old and the 20/20 Vision Committee never discussed the projects as separate issues.  The consensus of the committee was that the district as a whole required improvement.

Is there a chance that the buildings will be turned into commercial property?

That is a zoning decision and the City of Duncan will be responsible for making those decisions. 

Is there plan for how the high school students will be displaced during construction?

Yes, the architect fully understands that they will need to “work around” students and school will be held as usual.  Safety of the students will always be taken into consideration when construction is present.

What is the timeline for construction of the united elementary campuses and major renovations at Duncan High School?

Optimistically one year, realistically perhaps longer.

If a person is 65 years or older and they earn less than $48,800/year can they freeze their property taxes?

Yes, they can freeze their property taxes, however, they are responsible for providing that documentation to the County Assessor’s office.  This particular taxpayer will still be responsible for the additional millages required to pay back a bond issue they will not be subject to the State Law that allows for up to 5% growth.

Of the 1800 students currently transported, how many are elementary students?

Of the 1834 students transported daily, 828 are elementary children.  Of those, 469 are Emerson and Woodrow Wilson students.

Will high school students who are 18 years old be transported to polling places to vote?

No.  Students will not be transported to polling places. We are encouraging all registered voters to cast their ballot in this important election.

Will taxes go up every year for eighteen years?

No.  This is a one-time increase of roughly 10% in property taxes.  It will raise the current millages on the sinking fund from 25 to 35 mills.  The scheduled developed by the district bond/financial advisor projects very little fluctuation in millage rates over the course of this initiative.

Citizens have been collecting tax information from the County Assessor’s office and believe that recent property tax collections (even with an additional 10%) will not be sufficient to pay off the bonds in 18 years as proposed.

The Duncan School Board of Education and DPS administration has worked closely with our bonding advisor Stephen McDonald.  Mr. McDonald has conservatively projected the growth for property in Duncan and has done research and collected extensive data to support the 18 year payoff.  However, if citizens are willing to share their collected data from the County Assessor’s office, with our bonding advisor he will review and study their data and make comments.

Why a bond now with the existing economy and the possibility of down-sizing by Halliburton?

Many experts agree that the national, state and local economies are beginning to recover.  Strong, high-achieving schools support a strong economy and influence the attraction and retention of businesses in a community.  The Duncan community has always supported its children by supporting educational opportunities for all students, through good times and bad.  Old and outdated buildings do not provide the technological, instructional, and safety and security resources for teachers and students to achieve their goals of a world-class education.  They do not meet the standards of good financial stewardship as they consume an inordinate and growing amount of money to maintain and repair.  Nor are they reflective of the value and pride the Duncan community places in education.   Certainly Halliburton is a trusted and valued member of the Duncan community.  In this fluid economy and business environment, Halliburton has eliminated some jobs; but they are also creating new jobs in Duncan.  The core business of the school district is to adequately plan and to exercise prudent leadership in any environment so that teachers can teach and children can continue to learn well into the future. 

What are the priorities for the extracurricular facilities?

Critical needs will be addressed first, those include stadium lighting, press box, restrooms, areas that are frequently used facilities.  In fact, we have issued bids for the stadium lighting to be paid for with private donations from the “City of Champions.”  Critical needs will be met with the first available funds, example:  stadium lights - private donations came in first so that most critical need was met first.

When the 20/20 Vision Planning Committee did their planning was their consideration of renovating old elementary campuses vs. new?

Yes, careful consideration was given to numerous options, including renovations of existing facilities.  However, the district’s architectural firm cautioned us to consider the level of investment required to renovate.  The industry standard for a decision of this matter (renovate or new construction), when the cost of renovation tops 50% of  new construction, it is time to reconsider renovation.

Will Staff by involved in the design and Development?

ABSOLUTELY, this will include but not be limited to classroom teachers, physical education teachers, librarians, child nutrition staff, bus drivers, special education teachers, etc.  In other words, it will be an inclusive process.  Everyone will have an opportunity to provide input; we will count on their expertise in their field.

Why don’t the amounts listed in the bond resolution match the project costs proposed and why do we only have $78,800,000 to spend on construction when we are voting $118,945,000. 

The series listed in the resolution approved by the Board of Education are a reflection of when bonds will be sold and money collected to enable the district to pay the governmental entity for supporting the lease revenue bonds.  The cost that is reflected in the resolution includes the borrowing costs to accomplish construction/renovation of buildings plus interest and fees.

Districts have to generate revenue to pay interest and costs associated with borrowing for $78,800,000 for 18 years.  Those monies are made available through the series that are listed in the bond resolution.

Are you going to maintain the retired facilities and how long will they be vacant?

The district has a record of maintaining its properties and that is a point of pride. We are committed to maintaining those facilities.  The Duncan School Board of Education will strategize a marketing plan as well as a timeline to sell or raze the buildings.

Is the infrastructure up to par on the proposed building site for the elementary campuses up to par as far as sewage, drainage, etc.?

Yes, our architect firm has performed studies to insure that utilities, drainage, etc. are either already in place or easily accessible for future site usage.  We will work with the City of Duncan to insure that water pressure is adequate to support the elementary campuses.

How many administrators or principals will there be at each of the grade level buildings?

The administrative student to teacher ratio will be consistent with State Department guide lines and we will not overstaff at the administrative level.  Administrators will not lose their jobs however, evaluation of administrative staffing will take place upon resignations or retirements of current administrators.

Will the older kids be on teams like the middle school and be departmentalized, or will they be in self-contained classrooms?

We have not addressed those specific details at this point.  Each site will be given autonomy to develop their own format consistent with the needs of their students and the strengths of their staff.

How can I as a citizen help promote the bond issue?

Talk to the people that are your circle of influence and arm them with the facts as you know them.  Encourage them to get involved in the campaign by distributing flyers, making phone calls, donating money for advertisement and make sure that people are informed.  Last but not least, encourage them to vote on April 6^th.

Will the safety concerns about the bypass be addressed?

Yes, we will work closely with our architect to insure that where the schools are in proximity to the bypass is safe.  We will also have fencing around there buildings to insure that when students are outside they are confined within safe/contained parameters with structures such as fencing.

Will students be given bonus points/extra credit for voting in the April 6th election?

No, students will not be offered bonus points/extra credit for voting in this election.

Will there be access all the way around the three new buildings?

No, they are not positioned on the land like some schools around a city block.  However, the entrance and exit off of Elk Avenue is a very wide front footage.  This will allow for multiple entrances and exits and efficient traffic flow.

If the bond issue doesn’t pass, how long do we have to wait before we can bring up another bond issue?

There are various times during the year that schools can pass a bond issue.  The next available date would be in August; however, most schools do not try to pass bond issues in the summer because students are not in school.  There is really not a time frame when you can try again; that decision will be up to the Board of Education on when to set another election date.

When the building is complete and everyone moves in, will all Kindergarten teachers move into a Kindergarten teaching position, 1st grade teachers move into a 1st grade position, etc., unless a teacher requests a different position?

Yes, teachers will be allowed to move to the new elementary campuses in the position that they are presently teaching.  However, please remember that teachers are hired back each school year unassigned.  I do not foresee that teachers would be reassigned for any reason other than their request and their request would be based on a teaching vacancy to fulfill that particular request.

Why is a bigger school better for my child?

If your child presently goes to Woodrow Wilson, Emerson or Horace Mann Elementary they are going to school with over 400 students.  The new elementary campuses will have a little over 600 students in each building and will be students of the same age.  There will be 300 plus students per grade level in each building.