Waverly Schools Bond
The Wording
SAMPLE BALLOT
$89,900,000
SCHOOL BOND ELECTION
LANCASTER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 0145
(WAVERLY SCHOOL DISTRICT 145)
:IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
"Shall Lancaster County School District 0145 (Waverly School District 145) in the State of Nebraska (the "District") issue general obligation bonds of the District in an aggregate stated principal amount not to exceed Eighty Nine Million Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars ($89,900,000), for the purpose of providing funds to pay the costs of additions, renovations and improvements of the District's existing buildings and facilities, and providing furniture, equipment and apparatus for the same, which may include the following: security and technology additions and improvements; heating, ventilation and
cooling improvements and upgrades; reconfiguration of existing facilities and replacement of furnishings and equipment; and additions, renovations and improvements to the existing buildings and facilities for or related to the High School, Middle School, Intermediate School, Hamlow Elementary School and Eagle Elementary School buildings; such bonds to be issued from time to time, to bear interest at such rate or rates, to be sold at such prices and to become due at such time or times as may be fixed by, or determined at the direction of, the Board of Education; and
"Shall the District cause to be levied and collected annually a special levy of taxes against all the taxable property in the District sufficient in rate and amount to pay the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same become due'?"
( ) FOR such Bonds and tax
( ) AGAINST such Bonds and tax
Our Explanation
As in most school bond issues, the scenario usually goes through a 7-step process.
- The district recognizes both needs and wants to improve education.
- Research is done involving community input as well as connecting with architects and construction firms to identify estimated costs.
- The Board of Education votes to put the request on the ballot.
- The district puts together presentations to explain the needs and wants.
- The Voters decide if they are willing to commit to the increase in taxes to pay for the needs and wants.
- If passed, the District borrows money using the bonding system.
- For the next 20 or so years, additional property tax is collected to pay back both the principal and the interest on those bonds.
#1 - Specifically for the Waverly District, the needs and wants fall into the main categories of:
- Improve safety and security: Especially concerning public access to the building, so that visitors go to the office and not have unlimited access to other parts of the building
- Address capacity issue: e.g. The band needs more space for equipment storage
- HVAC and Infrastructure improvements: Putting in new heating and air systems are seen to be less costly than constantly repairing outdated systems
- Expand program space: The hope is to provide more opportunities in the trades, fine arts, special education, early childhood, health, college & career
#5 – Voting “yes” means the district is obligated to pay the bonds so the needed and desired improvements can happen. Voting “no” means the district will need to reassess needs and wants to determine which priorities to follow using current resources.
#6 – The amount of money to be borrowed is up to $89,900,000.
#7 – The impact on taxes is estimated to be $256/year for a house valued at $200,000, which would mean an extra $21.33/month.
Putting this on the Primary ballot means construction could begin in the summer causing the least disruption to schooling.
Those who support the bond agree with the district on the needs and wants – especially in expanding what the schools can offer in fine arts and trades, for example.
Some who oppose the bond would like to have “line-item” veto power. They might think it’s a good idea to quit wasting money on broken heating and air systems, but they do not think it is wise to tackle so many new items all at once.