APRIL
8 ELECTION INFORMATION
For sample ballots and more information be
sure to visit www.lcclerk.com!
PROPOSITION K.I.D.S.
Ready. Set. Grow. Election day is Tuesday, April 8 and is
fast approaching.
On the ballot is an R-III NO TAX INCREASE bond issue that,
if successful, will address a number of growth-related issues
in our schools.
Proposition K.I.D.S. will ask voters for permission
for the district to borrow
$14 million in general obligated bonds. If voters approve
the measure, our
schools,
students and teachers will benefit greatly. The issue includes
the following projects:
See graphic with passage of Prop K.I.D.S.
( click
to see larger image)
Graphic without Prop K.I.D.S.
( click
to see larger image)
1. Build a new elementary school.
The district is currently in negotiations east of town.
Although we do not have a location confirmed the district
will match the site to student population and growth and
avoid "clustering" future schools. We will publicize
a location once it is confirmed. This will be in the very
near future and before the election.
2. Additions to Hawk Point Elementary. (
click
to see larger image)
Expanding existing space and constructing a multi-purpose
room will allow the school to re-capture instructional space.
3. Renovations to Troy Middle School and Claude Brown Intermediate.
The two oldest schools in the district need improvements
to the HVAC and windows to help extend the life of these
facilities.
4. Complete and improve security at all district elementary
schools.
With a successful campaign, the elementary schools will
be outfitted with "buzz-in" security systems.
BALLOT LANGUAGE
Shall the Board of Education of the Reorganized School District
R-III of Lincoln County, Missouri, borrow money in an amount
of Fourteen Million Dollars ($14,000,000) for the purpose
of providing funds for the acquisition, site development,
construction, equipping and furnishing of a new elementary
school; the construction, equipping and furnishing of additional
instructional space and multi-purpose room at the Hawk Point
Elementary School; to complete security improvements at
all of the District's facilities; to the extent funds are
available to complete renovation and repair improvements
to the Middle School and Claude Brown Intermediate including
the replacement of windows and heating, ventilation and
air conditioning systems; to complete other remodeling and
repair improvements to the District's facilities; and issue
bonds for the payment thereof?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. We seem to outgrow new buildings so fast.
Why don't you just build
facilities bigger to begin with?
There are a few reasons for building our facilities smaller
rather than bigger. It is not educationally in the best
interest of our students and your children to attend an
elementary school that has 1,000 students enrolled. Essentially,
the larger the school the easier it is for students to "fall
through cracks."
Secondly, state law limits how much a district
can borrow to 15% of their assessed valuation. This is called
bonding capacity. Although it limits districts during times
of rapid growth, it also protects them from overextending
themselves. Since our community is still growing our assessed
valuation is too. Other districts of similar sizes have
upwards of $1 billion in assessed valuation whereas our
district is only working with $384 million in assessed valuation.
Each time we pass a bond issue our bonding
capacity is "spent down." For instance, after
a successful $22 million bond issue in April 2006 our bonding
capacity was taken back to zero because we borrowed the
15% of our
assessed valuation. To restore our bonding capacity, we
pay down our debt
as our assessed valuation increases.
2. The classes in my school have so many students.
Why not make them
smaller?
Unfortunately, we cannot physically achieve smaller class
sizes in any of our buildings. Every room is in use including
the mobile classrooms located outside some of our buildings.
Currently, our district is growing at approximately 250
students a year, which is the entire size of some of the
smaller districts in nearby areas.
3. Why does one subdivision represent so many
different elementary
schools?
Our district knows the current school selection process
is not ideal, but it is out of necessity. Due to our growth
and constraints on space, we implemented a random lottery
for school selection keeping siblings together.
The ultimate goal is to have boundaries based on a geographic
region and a traditional grade pattern. We will be able
to accomplish this when we have
more space to convert to a K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade pattern.
When drawn,
4. Why is the district building a 9th Grade
Center rather than a second
high school?
In 2005, a Long Range and Master Planning committee came
together anticipating that the district needed another high
school. After reviewing enrollment and data, the group of
70-plus community members, teachers and administrators saw
the district also needed another elementary school. The
district could only borrow $22 million according to state
law. The cost of a new high school is approximately $40
million while new elementary buildings cost approximately
$10 million.
Since neither issue could be completely addressed,
the group decided to build what they could, which included
a 9th Grade Center and additions to Main Street Elementary
and William Cappel Elementary. The committee made plans
to ask voters in 2012 to expand the 9th Grade Center into
a high school with a no-tax increase bond issue.
5. How will opening the 9th Grade Center impact
Troy Buchanan?
Opening the 9th Grade Center in Moscow Mills will have a
significant impact on the environment at Troy Buchanan.
This will essentially extract 500 students from a very crowded
building and take the building below maximum capacity.
6. Will my child still be able to participate
in all of the Troy
Buchanan activities, organizations and sports?
Yes. In fact, many of the organizations have already formed
a plan on approaching the change logistically. For example,
the Troy Buchanan marching band will practice, 9-12, at
Troy Buchanan. The freshman involved in FFA will hold their
own meetings at the 9th Grade Center, but still travel over
for the large quarterly meetings with the entire FFA. This
allows freshman to assume leadership roles early on and
still experience the FFA as a whole. Homecoming, yearbook
and many other events and products will be held together
as one. After all, the 9th Grade Center is a part of Troy
Buchanan until voters choose to or choose not to expand
it into a second high school.
7. What is the district's long-term/ master
plan?
The Long Range and Master Planning committee set a schedule
for addressing our needs by planning a no-tax increase bond
issue in April 2008. If this issue passes, a new elementary
school will be built (a location will be determined soon).
The committee also agreed to ask voters to expand the 9th
Grade Center into a second high school in 2012.
This group also asked the district to take
a step in achieving the K-5 structure. With limited space,
the elementary schools in the Troy attendance area converted
to K-4 with plans to expand to K-5. If the April
2008 no-tax increase bond issue passes, a new elementary
school will open in August 2009 and complete the K-5 structure
for all Lincoln County R-III elementary schools.
