BA Schools | Bond Resolution | No Tax Increase

The Broken Arrow Schools Board of Education approved a bond issue resolution in September which will bring much needed improvements to the BA School system. Anyone who has visited the schools is aware that there are many profound needs which must be address.

For a full list of projects cited for improvement when the voters approve the bond see below. For more information visit http://www.baschools.org and click on the link "Building Excellence".

Board approves projects for 2009 Bond Election (9/21)

The Broken Arrow Board of Education has approved the complete list of projects that will make up the 2009 Broken Arrow School Bond Election that will go before voters December 8, 2009.
The $295-million bond election is for school and School District improvements over the next nine years (and will not raise taxes). The bond issue features the building of three new schools (two elementary schools and one middle school), and the replacing of some 200 portable classrooms with permanently constructed classrooms (especially crucial at Park Lane, Indian Springs, Lynn Wood, Arrow Springs, and Westwood which have more portable classrooms than permanent classrooms on their respective campuses).

Projects that will be funded by the 2009 Broken Arrow School Bond Election are as follows:

• One new elementary East (Park Lane attendance area) including furniture and technology: $19,536,290.00

• Wolf Creek Finish Regional School-4th and 5th Grade Center. Replaces 4 modular buildings & includes furniture and technology: $19,536,290.00

• Indian Springs Classrooms w/gym. Replaces 13 modular buildings and includes site renovations and technology infrastructure: $9,308,467.00

• Lynn Wood Classrooms w/gym. Replaces 11 modular buildings and includes site renovations and technology infrastructure: $9,308,467.00

• Arrow Springs Classrooms w/gym: replaces 16 modular buildings and includes site renovations and technology infrastructure: $9,768,145.00

• Early Childhood Development Center classrooms, offices, activity area and lunchroom: $8,044,354.00

• Liberty Classroom Addition: Adds classrooms plus acoustical work in gym: $3,447,580.00

• Country Lane Pre. K -3 projects involve site upgrades including but not limited to security, kitchen and dining room upgrades, canopies and storage: $804,435.00

• Spring Creek Classroom Addition replaces 2 modular buildings plus upgrades in parking and sidewalks: $3,447,580.00

• Park Lane classrooms w/ gym: replaces 12 modular buildings and includes site renovations and technology infrastructure: $9,308,467.00

• Oak Crest Site Renovations, technology, and classroom addition: $2,298,387.00

• Westwood classrooms w/gym replaces 14 modular buildings and includes site renovations and technology infrastructure: $9,768,145.00

• Leisure Park projects-replaces 2 modular buildings with permanent classroom addition, technology, and other site renovations $3,447,387.00

• Arrowhead Classroom Addition replaces 5 modular buildings with permanent classrooms and includes technology upgrades, and other site renovations $3,447,387.00

• Vandever projects- replace 4 wood prefab buildings with permanent classrooms, adds gymnasium, and includes site renovations and technology infrastructure: $6,895,161.00

• Rhoades projects-replaces 2 wood prefabs with permanent classrooms, adds a gym, and reworks of traffic and parking plus other site renovations and technology infrastructure: $4,596,774.00

• Sequoyah Middle School projects- include Classrooms plus Instrumental Music and Technology Rooms. Involves removal of 4 modular buildings w/adding of classrooms including a new science room, plus dressing rooms in gym locker room. Also includes parking lot and sidewalk work, canopies and other renovations: $4,596,774.00

• Childers Middle School projects- include but are not limited to Classrooms plus Instrumental Music room. Involves recovery of rooms, adding rooms, technology upgrades, and other renovations: $4,022,177.00

• Oliver Middle School projects- include canopies for bus areas, piering of building repair of flooring and other renovations and upgrades: $574,596.00

• Haskell Middle School renovation projects include but are not limited to: expanding the media center, exterior door replacements, repaving, technology upgrades, and other renovations: $1,723,790.00

• Centennial Middle School projects include classrooms and renovations including technology, security-cameras plus other renovations: $1,723,790.00

• New Middle School -East of County Line including furniture and technology: $20,685,483.00

• South Intermediate Classroom Addition plus Instrumental Music room and Stadium Renovation, Black box room. Involves removal of 6 modular buildings and adds additional classrooms: $11,491,935.00

• North Intermediate replaces 8 modular buildings and renovates the auditorium, cafeteria and stadium plus miscellaneous other renovation projects: $4,596,774.00

• Senior HS Student Union with additional eating area for students, administration offices, new larger media center. Involves room recovery and reuse and eliminates portables and adds canopies, asphalt, striping and sidewalk projects. Renovates old media center into a student counseling and services center; Math/Science wing, Black Box, Band and Orchestra rooms, room recovery and re-use and eliminates 2 modular buildings. Also involves security redesign of front and side entrances to campus and adds other classrooms to the school: $21,375,000.00

• Maintenance/Repair/ Replacement of Systems/Renovations: $10,342,741,00

• Instructional Allocation includes textbooks and other instructional equipment and materials: $15,399,193.00

• Equipment & Furniture purchases and upgrades for Classrooms & other School Facilities: $2,298,387.00

• Technology Upgrades and Instructional Technology for every school site: $20,685,483.00

• Athletic Facilities & Equip. Includes upgrades of facilities and phase II of a multi-purpose indoor facility including HVAC for football, soccer and band to utilize. Ticket gates for baseball/softball, track, tennis and basketball and other renovations, improvements and equipment: $5,745,967.00

• Band Instruments & Uniforms purchases: $1,149,193.00

• Central Prof. Development Ctr. Project is to finish the interior work and put the building into full use: $1,149.193.00

• Transportation Services upgrade to include refueling facility upgrades, upgrade of diesel storage, work bay repairs and upgrades, asphalt and other renovation projects: $2,298,387.00

• Copier Project- All schools:$4,596,774.00

• Land Purchases for new schools: $4,596,774.00

• Playground Upgrades-All Elementary Schools: $1,149,193.00

• Work vehicle replacements for departments: $1,149,193.00

• Acquiring new maintenance center through purchase, construction or renovation: $1,149,193.00

• Warehouse renovations and upgrades. Increase storage to give space assigned to each school to store items: $1,149,193.00

• Landscaping and building façade repairs and upgrades, signage and other outdoor upgrades all school sites: $1,149,193.00

• Roof replacements (NIHS, Sequoyah, Wolf Creek and Park Lane, Warehouse and others based on repair history): $2,298,387.00

• Equipment replacement and additions for Plant Ops, Child Nutrition, and Maintenance: $1,149,193.00

• PAC Practice/ Multi-Purpose Room for all performing arts, equipment and sound adjustments, hydraulics for orchestra pit (to raise and lower) , paving of parking areas and video camera systems; Musical equipment and catering equipment upgrades and tables: $5,745,967.00

• HVAC and Hot Water Tank Replacements all schools sites: $3,447,580

• Safety and Security projects all schools including redesign and construction at main entrances. Includes camera systems, door system replacements, defibulators, security lighting and fencing, two-way radios: $2,298,387.00

• Energy management projects all schools and ancillary buildings. Includes window and door replacements, resealing and installing systems for managing temperatures: $2,298,408.00

TOTAL: $285,000,000

• Student Transportation Needs including new buses: Purchase of new buses and other student transportation needs: $10,000,000.00

TOTAL: $10,000,000.00

Grand total: $295,000,000.00

“Our schools and our school district have been working on these items for more than two years,” Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Gary Gerber said. “We are pleased that our School Board has given us the green light to bring these needed items to the voters for consideration as part of the bond election.”

The School District is able to deliver a bond election of this size without raising taxes thanks to its use of a long-term bond plan that will utilize a lease-purchase revenue financial package.

If the bond election is approved by voters, the School District will have a local trust authority issue lease-revenue bonds on its behalf. The School District will then receive the money up front, allowing BAPS to meet most of its building needs and infrastructure upgrades in a few years instead of a few decades.

In a lease-purchase revenue financial plan, the School District will use general obligation bonds approved by voters to pay off the lease revenue agreement over nine years (without new taxes).