When community residents go to the polls on Tuesday, May 15th for the Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election to cast their ballot, they will have the opportunity to vote on four separate items:

1. The 2007/08 School Budget;
2. Proposition to purchase new buses;
3. Proposition for a District-Wide Telephone/Security Surveillance Capital Project;
4. Selection of two candidates to serve three-year terms on the Board of Education.

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In my column last week, I discussed the proposed budget and tax levy, offering comparisons, examples and explanations. This week’s article will highlight the two propositions.

Transportation: The District is requesting the ability to purchase:

• Two 66-passenger school buses;
• One wheelchair conversion school bus;
• Three 22-passenger van buses;
  For a total price of $388,500.

If approved, these buses will replace six aging vehicles. A sound plan of regularly replacing older vehicles is wise for a number of reasons.

• As buses age, they require more maintenance, are less fuel efficient, and discharge a greater level of emissions;
• The cost to buy and operate a new bus is offset by State Aid, lower maintenance, less down time, and improved fuel economy.
• Periodically replacing buses stabilizes spending by avoiding large eleventh hour requests should buses fail DOT inspections or become unsafe. Pushing the envelope to keep older school buses on the road is never a wise idea.

A question often asked is, “What happens to the old buses that are replaced?” These buses are sold to a local dealer and many of them are then resold on the international market and shipped to foreign countries. Our District uses the money received to offset the cost of replacement parts for the remainder of the fleet.

This proposition will have no tax impact on this year’s budget. The District will bond (borrow the money) the purchase of these six buses over five years. Once ordered, the buses will be delivered on or about September 2007, and the first of five yearly installment payments will not begin until September 2008.

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District-Wide Telephone/Security Surveillance Capital Project

This project, if approved, will upgrade our telephone system, as well as improve safety and security in all four of our school buildings. Currently, we have an older Centrex Telephone System, which, although limiting, does works. It is, however, slow, restrictive, and exceptionally expensive because it is old technology. Each telephone, fax machine, and many computers have a dedicated phone line that incurs a monthly service charge of $30.00 per line. New technology will allow us to run T-1 lines, which are fiber optic lines in a bundle for much less, thus creating a tremendous savings. This new system will also allow voice mail, paging, and improve public address systems in all of our buildings. Connecting with all of our buildings will be made easier.

The Video Security and Surveillance System will be a state of the art system, which will provide “extended envelope coverage” for the exterior of all four of our schools. PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras will provide perimeter surveillance for playground, fields, and parking lots for each of our school buildings. The main entrance and main office in each of the buildings will have video monitoring. In addition all of the entrances and exits at the High School will also have video coverage.

Through good fiscal planning, the District has “saved” and placed in unappropriated fund balance the $491,100 needed for this project. However, before this money can be spent on this project, we will need voter approval.

There is no local tax impact for this project and it will not increase the tax levy.
There is more good news. The District will receive 58.2% State Aid and the remainder in EXCEL Aid (Expanding Our Children’s Education and Learning Aid) for this project. Simply stated, we have the money in our fund balance to cover this expense and once spent it will be returned to us in an aid package.

Additional good news is the upgrade in the telephone technology is expected to save the District a minimum of $45,000 a year in telephone service charges.

In summary, both of these propositions will not impact this year’s tax levy.

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You should receive our Budget Newsletter by Wednesday, May 9th. It is also available on our web page. Our Budget Tour is in full swing. If you would like more information on the budget, we would be happy to attend any meeting.

Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools