Edmond Schools Puts $80M Bond Issue Before Voters

EDMOND, OK -- The Edmond School Board wants voters to consider an $80 million school bond issue. The issue will go before voters February 12th.

The bond issue will include funds to build two new schools, purchase land for a new high school and for upgrades to every school in the district.

Press release from Edmond Public Schools:

Members of the Edmond Public Schools Board voted at their regular Dec. meeting to bring before voters an $80 million bond election Feb. 12, 2013 that includes $27 million for the construction of a new middle school, $16.5 million for the construction of a new elementary school and $3.2 million for the purchase of at least 80 acres for a new high school complex to be built sometime in the future.

 “Voter approval of the proposed bond package will allow us to meet significant needs brought about due to considerable growth in our student population,” said Superintendent David Goin.  “Due to a variety of factors, though, its passage will continue our historically stable sinking fund tax rate.”

 “Since we will not have a bond election in 2012 and the next election will not occur prior to August of 2014, we are in effect combining two years of projects into one election,” said Board President Jamie Underwood.   

 Goin also emphasized that the timing of bond sales to coincide with the retirement of existing bonds also supports the goal of sustaining a stable millage rate.   

Edmond has not built a new middle school in 13 years and the last elementary school was opened in 2007.  The new elementary school, the 17th in the district, will be on Sorghum Mill Road. The new middle school will be on N Pennsylvania, just south of Frontier Elementary school.

“Since 2007 the district has grown by 2,500 students and we now have several middle and elementary schools with close to, or more than 1,000 students,” said Bret Towne, associate superintendent of general administration.  “To keep class sizes optimal for learning, we must address this substantial growth by building new schools, as well as maintaining and upgrading our existing facilities.”

            The purchase of land for a fourth high school will likely be east of I-35. District leaders are in negotiations now with land owners.

 “The district spans more than 130 square miles, and locations being considered for this site are actually fairly close to the geographic center of our district,” Towne said.

No timeline has been discussed for the construction of a fourth high school but district leaders say it will likely be sometime in the next 5-8 years.

The breakdown of the bond issue is as follows:

Proposition #1, Total $78,210,000

Technology: Provide for improvements to the Edmond School District to include, but not be limited to, purchasing and installing computers, computer software, technology related equipment, wireless networking equipment, phone systems, copiers and technology related support services. $6,800,000

Roofing Replacement:  Improve North High School and Russell Dougherty and Northern Hills Elementaries, to include but not be limited to replacement of certain roofing. $1,700,000

School Security:  Improve Boulevard Academy and Memorial, North and Santa Fe High Schools to include, but not be limited to the installation and upgrades of video surveillance camera systems.  Improve Angie Debo, Centennial, Northern Hills and West Field Elementaries to include, but not limited to the installation of chain link fencing. $400,000

School Equipment:  Provide for improvements to the Edmond School District, to include but not limited to, the purchasing of athletic and fine arts equipment at district high schools and middle schools, the purchase of child nutrition kitchen equipment, maintenance vehicles and the purchase of library/media center books, software subscriptions, instructional equipment, instructional materials and textbooks as needed and as funds will allow at all school sites. $3,500,000

HVAC Replacement:  Improve Sunset Elementary and Cimarron Middle to include but not be limited to, replacement of HVAC units and equipment. $1,535,000

Flooring Replacement:  Improve Cheyenne and Summit Middle Schools to include but not be limited to, the replacement of existing carpet and tile as necessary and as funds will allow.                              $1,250,000                                      

Improve New Elementary:   Improve Frontier Elementary to include but not be limited to, construction and equipping of a 6-classroom addition to the facility that is currently under construction. $2,100,000                                                                             

New Elementary School #17: Construct Phase I of a new elementary school located on Sorghum Mill east of Broadway to include, but not be limited to  approximately 75,000 s.f. to include initially at least 25 classrooms, restrooms, administrative area, media center, cafeteria, kitchen, gymnasium, parking and associated infrastructure.  $16,500,000

New Middle School #6: Construct Phase I of a new middle school located between Danforth and Covell on Pennsylvania, to include, but not be limited to approximately 110,000 s.f. to include classrooms, restrooms, administrative area, media center, cafeteria, kitchen, gymnasium, athletic fields, parking, associated infrastructure, furniture and technology. $27,000,000

Orvis Risner Elementary: Improve Orvis Risner Elementary to include but not be limited to, expanding, remodeling and equipping of the cafeteria and kitchen, remodeling and improving selected classrooms, hallways and the media center.    $2,550,000

Sunset Elementary:  Improve Sunset Elementary to include, but not be limited to expanding, remodeling and equipping the existing kitchen. $1,000,000 

Memorial High School:  Improve Memorial High School to include, but not be limited to remodeling and improving selected science rooms, hallways and classrooms and replacement of seating in the competitive gym. $2,500,000

North High School:  Improve North High School to include, but not be limited to, installation of terrazzo flooring in the auditorium lobby, upgrading of the hallway, including certain lockers, wall tile, lights and the restrooms in the west main hallway, upgrading of science rooms in west wing of the school.  $2,500,000                                                                                                        

Santa Fe High School:  Improve Santa Fe High School to include but not be limited to, remodeling of select restrooms, expansion of Freshman Academy cafeteria seating, installation of new flooring in the auditorium, band and orchestra area and Freshman Academy science rooms, wrestling room expansion and locker room improvements, improvements and repairs to the competition gym, lobby and practice gym, replacement of the roof over the orchestra classrooms.  $2,600,000

Support Facility Improvements: Provide for the remodeling and conversion of the vacated district maintenance building located at 612 W. Campbell, into the district’s custodial building and central receiving warehouse. $850,000

District Board of Education and Professional Development Training Center:  Provide for improvements to the EPS Administrative Center to include but not be limited to, constructing an additional parking lot and storage building.  $750,000

Land Purchase:  Purchase at least 80 acres of land for the purpose of constructing a future high school campus. $3,200,000

High School Track Improvements:  Provide for improvements to the running tracks at Memorial, North and Santa Fe High Schools to include but not be limited to resurfacing all running surfaces at North High School and Santa Fe High School and repair and recoating the track surface at Memorial High School. $475,000

ADA Playgrounds Installations: Provide for the equipping and installation of ADA playground equipment and impact material at Chisholm, Clegern, Cross Timbers, Will Rogers Charles Haskell, Northern Hills, Washington Irving, Ida Freeman, West Field Elementary, Centennial and Angie Debo Elementaries to include but not be limited to all materials, edging and labor to install specified equipment. $1,000,000                                                                              

Proposition #2 Total $1,790,000

Purchase school transportation equipment to include, but not limited to large school buses, small school buses and maintenance vehicles. $1,790,000

            Due to the projected growth in property valuations, the retirement of other bonds outstanding and the funding spread over four disbursements, it is anticipated that passage of this bond issue would maintain stable property tax rates.

            All registered voters who live within Edmond Public School district boundaries qualify to vote including those residents who live outside of the city limits of Edmond.

Posted: Monday, December 10 2012, 07:35 PM CST