R-5 board puts capital improvement bonds on ballot

Thursday, January 5, 2012

By Ralph Pokorny/Nevada Daily Mail

If Nevada R-5 voters agree, the school district plans to build a new performing arts center, a new multi-purpose building, make upgrades to the district's technology and to make repairs to Wynn Gymnasium and the high school's tennis courts.

During a special meeting Wednesday morning the Nevada R-5 Board of Education, which has been discussing six possible capital improvement projects for several months, voted 7-0 to set April 3 as the date for a special election to ask R-5 patrons to approve a $5.9 million bond issue to finance these projects and to hire LJ Hart & Company as the bond underwriter for the project. The issue will require a 4/7 majority to pass.

The board also voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution of intent to use about $800,000 of the bond financing to reimburse the district for upgrades to the district's technology.

Nevada R-5 superintendent David Stephens said that the district is going to do the upgrades to the district's 12-year old technology with or with out the bond issue.

Larry Hart, LJ Hart & Company, told the board Wednesday that while this bond issue will not involve an increase of the district's levy, it will renew the existing levy.

"The 13.52-cent debt service levy is adequate for payment of the new bonds," Hart said.

He told the board that the current interest rates are lower than when they first started working this project and because of the economy he does not expect the rates to go up between now and the April 3 election or when the bonds are sold in June.

"The probable rate for 20 year tax exempt issue is 2.79 percent," he said.

"I've been in this profession for 35 years and this is lower than it's been in that time frame," he said.

Hart told the board that even if the interest rates were to go up by .5 percent, the district's current levy would still work for the bonds.

He said that of the $5,975,000 in bonds will produce a little more than $5.9 million for the projects. The other $75,000 will go to Hart for marketing the bonds and will be shared with any other firms that help to market the bonds.

"This project has broad appeal," Hart said, adding that because of that he is reluctant to recommend that the district take a low-key approach to the election.

He said that they recommend the district set up a steering committee to work on the issue.

The R-5 district can only provide information on the bond issue and urge people to vote, it cannot advocate for its passage or tell people to vote for the issue, Stephens told the board.

The steering committee, which is not a part of the school district, can advocate for the passage of the bond issue.

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"The R-5 district can only provide information on the bond issue and urge people to vote, it cannot advocate for its passage or tell people to vote for the issue, Stephens told the board. "

But they always encourage the teachers to push it.

-- Posted by sam floor on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 6:52 AM
The rest of the story is how they will use your kids to sell it. So they got their taxes last year. Deceived us all about how bad the financial picture really was and now they would like you to finance this monument to their ineptitude. We should make building upgrades likely work on the auditorium. I am troubled by how soon Wynn gymnasium is in such dire need, it's predecessor was much more durable what happened?

-- Posted by USS_Missouri on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 9:33 AM
Gym has a flat roof and has had water damage due to the flat roof.

-- Posted by Crablegs00 on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 10:38 AM
Someone has their hand in the cookie jar.

-- Posted by sam floor on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 1:38 PM
Hey old wise dude, whats a Neveva Certification?

-- Posted by Samclemens on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 4:36 PM
all i can/will say is why wont the school board answer the questions we have ask id like to ask Mrs Wade to request an interview with mr carpetbagger and ask the hard questions weve been asking that not a bad thing let him put his cards on the table before we the tax payers go all in so to speak and im sure ill get deleted for this but isnt that what the paper is supose to do

-- Posted by 3D-shooter on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 6:11 PM
It looks like the story mentions the sites of both potential buildings.

As for teachers pushing it, don't you think anyone would WANT to work in a better, more modern building with the most recent technology?

-- Posted by cwright on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 6:18 PM
cwright this is no place for logical comments. lol

-- Posted by ccmom on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 6:26 PM
What logic are you referring to? The insane human greed that makes public officials constantly try to prop themselves up on piles of tax payer dollars by selling them some sky is falling scenario. Is that what your calling logic? How did we ever get here in such poor facilities, and without putting all those people in rolls Royce or penthouse apartments. Also of interest is that we reigned supreme in education, science, technology, and industry before we suddenly found all the needs some of you now bandy about without regard for their true impact. "It is easy to make things larger more complicated, and destructive, it takes true genius with some courage to work in the other direction" Albert Einstein. So lets see who the intelligent and brave are amongst us.

-- Posted by USS_Missouri on Thu, Jan 5, 2012, at 7:54 PM
I would like to hear Mr Barrett's or Common Sense's voice on this. After all, when their group was trying to force NEVC to combine with R5 they said that R5 had no plans to build new buildings. It hasn't even been a year yet has it. Only thing I can say is thank god smarter people won or we would be in this mess. I wonder how a certain person feels about his taxes now.

-- Posted by truthseeker67 on Fri, Jan 6, 2012, at 5:10 AM
Why do people not trust the board on building matters? They bought the Burris property and find out after that it's not feasible to build on it. Truman school was built in a swamp. The southernmost classrooms flood during heavy rains. The gym renovations are only a few years old and the roof has a bad leak. Apparently there was no warranty. They took the canopy down at the front door that kept students entering the school dry when it rains.

-- Posted by sam floor on Fri, Jan 6, 2012, at 7:18 AM
Keeps them dry from the rain? Aren't the parking lots across the street from the front of the building? What gym renovations were made a few years ago? They just put a patch on the gym roof that has a warranty this past fall until they could do something permanent with the roof in the future.

-- Posted by Crablegs00 on Fri, Jan 6, 2012, at 10:58 AM
It sounds like the school board needs to hire someone who knows about roofing. A flat roof will always leak at one time or another. It needs to have an A type of roof so water will run off into gutters and away from the gym. With a flat roof there will always be cost and construction all the time and money spent.

Just a thought and maybe this needs to be considered.

Have a good day!

-- Posted by tabbyloucat on Fri, Jan 6, 2012, at 11:38 AM
Tabby the same people who struggled with the roof issue will now construct something else.

How old is Wynn gymnasium exactly? How long did it's predecessor last? What is the actual educational return on this investment? What is the lesson we are really teaching kids?

-- Posted by USS_Missouri on Fri, Jan 6, 2012, at 11:21 PM
Last year they tell you the financial sky is falling so we give them back the tax they claimed would be temporary a decade ago. Now they want bonds to spend even more money. When is it enough especially when the return on this investment continues to decline under current administrations

-- Posted by USS_Missouri on Wed, Jan 11, 2012, at 8:17 AM
Whether you have kids in school or not, this bond issue will not be a result of mismanagement or "hand in the cookie jar" issues. That cookie jar has been down to crumbs for a long time. Our kids need and deserve the updates and new facilities; our community would benefit from them. I feel there is a contingent in our area who sees any group meeting "officially" as corrupt and ready to take what they can get. This is not the case, at least with the school board. Let's please quit the conspiracy theories and help our kids get what they need for their educations!

-- Posted by momssscl on Thu, Jan 12, 2012, at 10:24 AM
Well said, jones!

-- Posted by mss on Thu, Jan 12, 2012, at 11:27 AM
There is absolutely NO NEED for this improvement to our school. The auditorium may need some updates I would agree, but an entire new fine arts facitliy...GIVE ME A BREAK. They can't fill the auditorium we have now why would we want a bigger one? Then the issue of the roof...add a peak to the roof and it will solve most of the problems. This is a waste of money in a poor economy and a shrinking school enrollment...please do not support this if you are a Nevdada R5 tax payer...more money doesn't always solve the real problems.

-- Posted by tigerproud on Thu, Jan 12, 2012, at 3:32 PM
You may want to do a fact check on the shrinking enrollment.

-- Posted by ccmom on Thu, Jan 12, 2012, at 5:48 PM
looks to me that once again the school board is wanting to throw good money at a terrible idea i got a good idea take the 25,000 a year that we spend on the very unsuccesfull drug testing (say what you will but to me .33% is a failure) and spend it on fixing the roof and leave my taxes alone and i still ask miss wade to send in a reporter to ask mr steavens the tough questions that have been brought up on her papers blogs come on if he has the right answers maybe he could swing some voters if he tells the truth well we wont have to worry about the bond issue

-- Posted by 3D-shooter on Thu, Jan 12, 2012, at 8:46 PM
Bravo!!!! A New Fine Arts Facility would be a blessing. Have you ever been to a NHS Show Choir Classic, a Parent-night anti-van follies, a Senior Sermon, a Male Homesome Pagent, Grades K-5 Music programs, school plays etc. etc.? I have and seating is very limited. Students sit on the floor in front of the stage for lack of seating. The stage (I'm told) has holes in it. I welcome you to take a tour, and witness all the broken seats. No, I do not work for the school district.

-- Posted by mossimo on Thu, Jan 12, 2012, at 11:06 PM
I have checked on enrollment...it is shrinking and will continue to do so. I also have attending MANY schoolf functions in the auditorium as I have had five children graduate from NHS and three were involved in the fine arts from band, Soundsational Singers and Treb Effects...so yes I have witnessed trhe "crowds" that are the minority not the norm that is for sure. Yes updating is needing...and entire building or "wing" for Fine Arts...that is just plain crazy and a waste of PUBLIC funds!! I also have taken a tour....I witnessed no holes in the floor.....

-- Posted by tigerproud on Fri, Jan 13, 2012, at 9:19 AM
High school enrollment in 2009 was 717, in 2011 it is 784. That is high school only no elementary, still looking for numbers there. Also, this number does not include the Heartland students.

-- Posted by ccmom on Sat, Jan 14, 2012, at 7:44 AM
Strange the superintendent by his own admission last year said "the bubble has past". I also wonder how you excluded the heartland students from your stats? Even if we play along with your fantasy then why are we building an arts building instead of classrooms? If the population of Nevada is on the brink of explosion why are we wasting money on seats that will only be filled three or four nights a year, for a few hours at a time? The actions as usual do not match the noises being made.

-- Posted by USS_Missouri on Mon, Jan 16, 2012, at 6:03 PM
You, once again, are putting words in my mouth. I have not passed an opinion on what the school board is proposing. I simply posted the enrollment number that I was able to find in the internet. End of story.

-- Posted by ccmom on Tue, Jan 17, 2012, at 8:33 AM
My apologies for that, it seemed as if you were justifying the case.

-- Posted by USS_Missouri on Tue, Jan 17, 2012, at 10:14 AM
ccmom, the report that was published in this paper a couple months ago, said that the board acknowledged that enrollment was stagnant and was expected to remain that way. It was the same story where the engineers told them the Burris property was not feasible to build on.

-- Posted by sam floor on Fri, Jan 20, 2012, at 12:59 PM
If you will go to MSHSAA and check enrollment numbers you can see for yourself. You can find both current and previous years enrollments for every school in the state.

-- Posted by ccmom on Fri, Jan 20, 2012, at 5:51 PM
why is it when one comments their opinion, or posts what they have found in regards to the story, not trying to justify it, just adding more facts or rather information that you can take or disregard, certain individuals (there are a few that like to post insults like that on here) call them liars? you can't have an opinion that differs from yours? you have to react like a child and call someone a liar? tends to remind me of when i was in high school, no, middle school really. the maturity level of some adults here is quite, well, disappointing.

-- Posted by bewise on Sat, Jan 21, 2012, at 10:59 PM
bewise, I think your a liar. LOL

-- Posted by thoth2011 on Sun, Jan 22, 2012, at 11:07 PM
Mighty MO I reject your reality and substitute my own. LOL

-- Posted by thoth2011 on Fri, Jan 27, 2012, at 6:07 AM
apparently you are not the only one living in that fantasy land thoth but good for you anyway LOL

-- Posted by USS_Missouri on Fri, Jan 27, 2012, at 12:50 PM

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