Questions asked regarding Proposition “A”
New High School/Stadium Renovations.
Q -Remodeling of bathrooms, more would be needed in the MS for elementary students.
A- Looking into the possibility, (After looking over space issues, pk-2nd grade would stay in existing elementary). There are more bathrooms currently in the middle school than in the elementary.
Q – Would it cost to build additional buildings in 8-10 years.
A- We could come back with a no tax increase levy, after paying off a portion of this bond and then build a new elementary or early childhood center.
Q- How much do we owe on performing arts center?
A- We will pay $261,000 a year for nine more years.
(Money utilized to build buildings does not affect teachers pay or benefits).
Q- Who moves who stays with early childhood?
A- pk-2nd grade, 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, and 9th-12th grade (preliminary).
Q-What is next step?
A- We need to get the word out and educate everyone. Provide correct information. Who it affects and how much it costs.
Q-How will it be paid for?
A-Property taxes, personal property (Average tax bill is $700 currently, it would be an additional $140 a year or $12 a month for a new high school and a renovated stadium.
Q-How much?
A-$.78 on $100 assessed valuation.
(I will send out levies for each area, agriculture, residential, commercial, and personal property).
Q- Is there land available at the football field?
A- We are looking on campus, at sports complex, and near sports complex.
Q- Will new tax be permanent or temporary?
A- 20 years to pay off.
Q-Is price of land figured into the estimate?
A-Yes
Questions asked regarding Proposition “A”
New High School/Stadium Renovations.
Q-Do we have enough teachers or will they have to go back and forth?
A-Vo-Tech will remain here; high school will still be able to utilize performing arts center, we may have a couple of teachers travel for a class.
Busing will not be an issue. There are four classes a day we would run a bus back and forth. It is 1.5 miles from my office door to the football field. A+ students would ride the bus to and from as well. We would also bring students over after school from high school, if parents work here and we would deliver young students to the high school if parents are working over there. This is all contingent on the location, if we move near the sports complex.
Q- Middle School Playground?
A-We would add equipment for a playground.
Q- The cost of the new high school 90,000 sq. ft x $110 per sq. ft. $9,900,000.
A - The cost for equipping the new high school approximately $2,100,000 (20-25%)
- The cost for renovating the sports complex $1,500,000.
- Total $13,500,000
Q - Where can the floor plans for the new high school be seen?
A – Currently the plans are for spaces, there is not a comprehensive drawing. We
will look at sight plans. These drawings will come after bond approval. The focus at this point is geared toward what class room spaces we will provide.
Q – The cost of upgrading and moving each building of student from pre-school to
elementary / elementary to middle school and middle school to high school.
A – The
Q – The student age population trends in Ava, increasing, decreasing, steady…and by what factors is the determined?
A – The student population looks level for the next several years. This is determined by population in each grade level. We start with approximately 100 students in elementary, grow to approximately 110 in the middle school and fluctuate from 100 to 140 in the high school, since we receive students from surrounding k-8 school districts.
Q – When the new buildings get configured, what will be the upkeep and maintenance cost?
A - We figure upkeep on the new building per year would be approximately $10,000. If there are breakdowns, we would need to address them as they occur.
Questions asked regarding Proposition “A”
New High School/Stadium Renovations.
Q – Is the high school structurally sound? Does it need to be replaced?
A – The high school is structurally sound. No it does not need to be replaced, we will utilize the current high school for grades 6th – 8th. The size and space are limited for the high school, but would be an increase for middle school students.
Q – New personnel costs, faculty, administration, and staff? What will this cost be?
A- We anticipate hiring 2-3 maintenance/custodial staff, 3-4 cafeteria workers and
pre-school staff as we expand the infant to 3 yr old programs. Part of these costs will be offset by parents paying for some of the child care services. There will be no additional administration or teachers in any of the other buildings.
Q – How was .78 cent increase determined? Why wasn’t it .79 cents or .77 cents, etc?
A – A decision was made to proceed with a new high school and stadium renovations totaling $13,500,000. By adding .78 cents to our levy this can be paid for in 20 years.
Q – Are communities more attractive for their school buildings or for lower tax base?
A – I will utilize a statement made to me by a Nixa resident, “people don’t come to Nixa because of its industry or its easy access, but because of its schools”? I do not believe a person on average paying $200 - $300 more a year in taxes would keep them from moving to Ava.
Q – Will teachers, administration and staff salary be affected? (now and/or later) because of the amount of money that will be used and required for this building project?
A – There will be no change in staff salaries as the money for construction comes from a different funding source. The upkeep and maintenance would not be the difference in a budget of over $14 million. However, there is no way to predict the future for the economy.
Q – What are the details of the interest free loan?
A – QSCB (Quality School Construction Bonds) are zero percent bonds, but with fees there will still be some minimal costs for financing, but no where near an average rate of 6 %. BAB (Building America Bonds) are low interest programs that subsidize the interest to nearly half the interest rate. I have utilized and average of 3.5% to 3.75% on BAB’s. So if you tie both the QSCB and BAB together we are looking around 2.1% for the overall project. In comparison 2.1% to 6% is millions of dollars in savings on $13,500,000.
Q - What continuing costs will the County possibly have to bear after the schools are built and staffed?
A – The County pays no additional monies to the school for new building costs.
Questions asked regarding Proposition “A”
New High School/Stadium Renovations.
Q - Will there be a sunset clause to return the levy to the previous level?
A – Yes, 20 years
Q – Regarding the phone survey, how many people were surveyed?
A – 375 people were completed surveys via the telephone. A large voter turnout for the
Q – Green initiatives for the new buildings?
A – We are considering the most cost effective means to energy usage, Green initiatives will be considered.
Q – Can a new high school be built with Stimulus Money with no Bond Issue?
A – No, voters must approve the Bond, so the school can be eligible for the Stimulus Incentive.
Q – When was the elementary built and how many students does it hold?
A – The elementary was built in different phases starting in 1953, 1957, etc. There are approximately 470 students in the elementary on average and we must hold classes in houses across the street now, because of specialized programs for students. We need space.
Q – Busing Issues of separated students?
A - We will run buses to and from the elementary and middle school to a new high
school. This will not be a major change as we have different start and release times in each of the buildings currently.
Q – How long will it take to build a new high school?
A – 2 yrs.
Q – Location for the new high school?
A – The school district is considering on existing campus, on sports complex, or near sports complex. We will disclose this before the election. The Board of Education must decide this at the March Board Meeting.
Q – Evidence base for purpose of new building?
A – Research shows new facilities and technology improve absenteeism rates, discipline referrals decrease, and school spirit is noticeably improved. A new building will not increase a student’s ACT Score, or improve their IQ, but the above-mentioned items can help a student’s academic performance.
Q – What is the average class size?
A – We range from 17 students per teacher in kindergarten to 25-30 students in larger classes in the high school.
Questions asked regarding Proposition “A”
New High School/Stadium Renovations.
Q – Does money for this project include furniture, computers, etc. or is it just buildings?
A – We have budgeted 20% for furniture and equipment in the costs for the project.
Q – Will we need to rebuild the vocational building and performing arts center?
A – No, we will bus students over for their use. We only have four classes in high school each day, so this will not be a big issue. A+ students for tutoring will also utilize this busing as well.
Q – What would an average tax payer see in an increase?
A – The average tax bill in
Q – Have we looked for free money to obtain utilities such as wind turbine and asked the Missouri Government for grant monies and help with construction.
A – We have and will continue to look at all avenues to save money, which is why we are trying to access the Stimulus Incentives to save money, so the community will not have to pay more later.
Q – Will the band have classrooms at the new high school?
A – Yes, we will have classrooms for the high school band. The middle school and the elementary will utilize the band room and music rooms. Band starts in grade 5 and we have music grades K-12.
This list will continue to expand, so please provide any additional questions. Thank You!