May 16th Election: School Bond

Timeline to the Bond

Dec.2004

June2005

Sept.2005

Dec.2005

March2006

June2006

DFAC•Facilities•Enrollment

The district has engaged in a thorough and thoughtful process and sought community input and involvement in deciding to place a general obligation bond on the May 16, 2006 ballot.

The Champions of Education began looking at school needs several years ago and then the board formally chartered the a District Facilities Advisory Committee (DFAC). DFAC began meeting in December 2004 and presented their recommendations to the board in June 2005.

DFAC included 32 citizens, who represented a broad cross section of our community. The group divided the work into two subcommittees, one examining facilities and the other focused on enrollment growth.

Ron ReimersTom Cordier Jim McGowanKelly BackerBrian BeckerRich Caitlin David FallerRon LoneyJill Mackey-Feist Dani McCaffertyMark McNabbKristi MurphyKevin Nicholson

Randy PorterPat Richards Tim SmithMichelle Weber Darcy WinnJanet Steele Dick RunningHelen Burns SharpWolf Dyner Ed HodneyRandy Lary Scott LepmanDavid MarkelChuck McLaran

David Reece Lyle Utt Burl Wheaton Wayne Goates Bill O’BryanMartha Wells

Many members of DFAC devoted more than 100 hours each of their own time to examining schools and population and enrollment trends. The committee likened the school district to a “well maintained 1950 Buick” – it still runs, but at some point you need to replace some parts, and another vehicle is required to handle the crowd.

Timeline to the Bond

Dec.2004

June2005

Sept.2005

Dec.2005

March2006

June2006

DFAC•Facilities•Enrollment

School tours

Community Input Forums

School board and community

meetings

Collecting Community

Input

After receiving the report from DFAC, the board began collecting additional community input. There were tours of all the schools and community input forums held at four of our schools. Board members addressed many community groups and collected input and the public was welcomed at board meetings and special work sessions to consider the bond.

Community Input

• Priorities emerged:– Want schools to be safe and healthy places– Want schools equipped to prepare students for college

and career– Want schools to be accessible for all, including our

special needs students– Understand the need to update aging infrastructure– Recognize the need to increase capacity to meet

growing enrollment needs

• Citizens want assurances that the bond money will be spent as it was intended.

The Board heard that citizens of the school district believe that “Quality schools are the backbone of our community, and the foundation of our local economy – both now and

in the future.”

Which wasn’t a surprise because it is the same thing the Oregon

Values and Belief study confirmed:

OREGON &BELIEFSVALUES

• Quality education and accessible/affordable healthcare are the most important quality of life conditions for Oregonians

• Oregonians identify education as the top priority for a healthy economy• Oregonians identify education as one of the three most important services

provided by government• When asked what government service is more important, regardless of

cost: consistently rank primary/secondary education as most important

Timeline to the bond

Dec.2004

June2005

Sept.2005

Dec.2005

March2006

June2006

DFAC•Facilities•Enrollment

School tours

Community Input Forums

School starts

School board and community

meetings

Collecting Community

Input

Enrollment Projections

School started and the enrollment growth was even greater than predicted.

A bond attorney reviewed the list of items to consider for the bond and ruled out those items that did not qualify.

Timeline to the bond

Dec.2004

June2005

Sept.2005

Dec.2005

March2006

June2006

DFAC•Facilities•Enrollment

School tours

Community Input Forums

School starts

School board and community

meetings

Collecting Community

Input

Enrollment Projections

Cost and scope estimation

The district hired a professional project management firm to refine the estimates from the DFAC committee and to review the project lists. Increased construction costs as a result of the hurricanes in the South East and additional code compliance items, raised the list of proposed projects to $110 million.

Timeline to the bond

Dec.2004

June2005

Sept.2005

Dec.2005

March2006

June2006

May 16, 2006 The election

DFAC•Facilities•Enrollment

School tours

Community Input Forums

School starts

School board and community

meetings

Collecting Community

Input

Enrollment Projections

School Board sets bond amount

Cost and scope estimation

$110 million

$55 million

Using community input as its guide the school board cuts the proposed list of projects to the minimum required projects and places a $55 million, ten year General Obligation Bond on the May 16 ballot.

Before we discuss what kinds of items the Bond will cover let’s review a current inventory of our schools. They are

listed on the time line by the year built.

Central

Fir GroveCalapooiaMemorial

Lafayette

NAMS

LibertyNo. Alb. Elem.

SunriseWaverly

Oak Grove

OakSouth Shore

Takena

Periwinkle

Tangent

WAHS SAHS

1925 201519651955 20051975 1985 1995194519351915

Clover Ridge

Fairmount

Our buildings were not meant to last forever without major repairs and equipment replacement.

The bond includes funds:• To replace roofs that are beginning to

fail• For boilers that have long outlived their

life expectancies• To replace windows that have warped

and deteriorated after many years of heavy use

Oak Elementary and six other schools have failing roofs.

The 50+ year old showers in the locker rooms at West are riddled with dry rot.

Oak Elementary and six other schools need a new roof.

The bond includes funds:• To update science classrooms• To improve the electrical systems at

schools• To improve the library at West Albany• To install data projectors in

classrooms

This science classroom at West hasn’t changed much in 50 years, and in our middle schools science is regularly taught in regular classrooms because there are not enough science classrooms.

When most of our schools were built, code required two electrical outlets per

classroom.

Schools should be handicapped accessible. All our students, including our physically challenged students and those with special needs, deserve Albany’s best.

The bond includes funds to make sure that all our schools have handicapped accessible restrooms:

• At least one set for each elementary school

• Two sets for middle schools• Three sets for high schools

Safe and healthy

The bond includes funds for:• Replacing old and failing water pipes• Improving occupant safety in case of fire and earthquake

• Improving student safety during drop off and pick up (bus loops)

• Fencing• Gym floor replacements• Asbestos removal

The railroad tracks are less than ¼ mile from Tangent School and nothing blocks a student from running on to them.

Gym floors which contain mercury are beginning to degrade.

Hard surfaces like the track at West are worn out, and can’t be used as intended.

Continued growth is predicted through 2015.

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7000

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9000

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Actual Projected Capacity

An increase of almost 1,000 students in the last ten years

A new school has been proposed for east of I-5 which together with Clover Ridge will cover the K-8 education needs of those living east of the freeway. Additions and remodels to increase capacity are planned at nine other schools.

Update and modernize facilities, classrooms, and school buildings $ 15,436,420

Improve access to technology, update science labs and libraries 6,289,340

Upgrade heating and ventilation systems 3,122,879

Replace aging water pipes and upgrade fire safety equipment 1,588,369

Make schools more accessible for disabled and special needs children

2,273,603

Build additional classrooms, acquire land, construct and furnish a new school

25,783,389

Other Issuance Costs 500,000

total $ 55,000,000

Prioritizing: •the desire for safe and healthy environments•giving teachers the tools to prepare our students for college and careers•accessibility for all students •accommodating growth

To assure taxpayers that their tax dollars are being spent wisely:

The bond will be written so that the funds go directly where they are needed most – to the classrooms, to the schools buildings, and the most critically needed repairs and renovations.

Not for teacher and administrator salaries

Bond Oversight Committee (to provide independent community accountability)

•Tom Gaulke•Mark McNabb•Wes Price•Ron Reimers•Lisa Shogren•Bruce “Buzz” Wheeler

THE GREATER ALBANY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

URGES YOU TO VOTE

Ballot Measure 22-53

May 16, 2006