Bond would provide much needed facilities for Maricopa schools

Maricopa voters have the opportunity to directly impact the future of their school district by voting “yes” on a ballot measure that would allow the Maricopa Unified School District to borrow money, in the form of bonds, from local government (see related story).

The bonds would be repaid with the city’s secondary tax revenues, which are replenished through the influx of new residents.

A Nov. 7 voter approval would be the seventh successful bond election in MUSD’s 94-year history. Much like the previous six, this bond would allow for much-needed physical expansion of the district’s facilities.

Hyper-growth within the district has flooded existing schools with new students. Because of the influx of students, the result has been a shortage of teachers and limited space.

MUSD has 17 new elementary schools, five new middle schools and three new high schools planned in the next 10 years. Renovations of the existing schools are also a necessary — and ongoing — expense required to provide students with the highest quality education possible in the midst of unprecedented growth.

Funding for remodeling and expansion may include the cost of a facility to house support services and the renovation of Maricopa High School. MHS could receive a fine arts facility, science labs, renovated athletic facilities and expansions of both the media center and the cafeteria.

In addition to yard signs, vehicles like this one can be seen advertising the bond election.

The sample ballot lists the following purposes for the bond election:

· Constructing school buildings
· Renovating school buildings
· Purchasing pupil transportation vehicles
· Acquiring, by purchase or lease, school lots
· Improving school grounds, including adjacent ways thereto
· Liquidating indebtedness incurred for the purposes set forth herein
· Providing all utilities and other capital items necessary for construction and renovation of school buildings and for improving school grounds
· Paying all architectural, design, engineering, project and construction management and other costs incurred in connection with the purposes set forth above
· Paying all legal, financial and other costs in connection with issuance of the bonds

While this bond election would provide facilities for roughly 8,000 MUSD students, that figure could be reached in just three years given the district’s current 45 percent annual growth rate.

Another concern is the possibility that funds allotted for the construction of five new schools may only pay for three due to skyrocketing construction costs and inflation.

With several bonding capacity options available, school board members have opted to ask for a conservative $55.7 million. This would maintain the current bond tax rate of $.81 per $100 of assessed property value; the actual amount of tax paid would increase with property values. “We know the people within the city limits are getting hit left and right,” said Tracy Davis, clerk of the MUSD Governing Board. “We wanted to keep the tax rate where it was.”

Maricopa Schools ultimately will need much more than the $55.7 million available from the bond, but the governing board is hoping a consistent tax rate will help ensure the measure passes.

“We arrived at this number with the help of leadership and district staff,” Davis said. “It’s not just an arbitrary number. We have to be able to justify it and explain where the monies will go.” Davis also noted that voter pamphlets, distributed in October, explained the bond and its pros and cons in more detail.

“To me, there is no downside,” Davis continued. “We’re talking about the kids and about having the necessary facilities to give them the best education.”