Why we must vote yes on the
Guest Editorial by Michelle George
As many of you know,
The bond would cover the costs for the following projects:
A kitchen remodel at Orofino
Elementary. The kitchen has been out of code for many years and could be shut
down at any time by the health department. Also, the work space is too small for
the number of students served.
A bus safety lane just off
Four classrooms added to
Timberline campus. These will replace the two trailers that are now used as four
classrooms. The trailers are currently rented and very expensive to heat and
maintain. Even with low student numbers, Timberline Schools needs these rooms to
serve the number of classes and grades provided.
Six rooms will be added along
the south side of the current high school, an increase of five classrooms and
one bathroom area. The added space will allow the seventh and eighth grade to be
housed together and managed as a junior high school.
You may notice that the gyms
are not included in this bond levy.
I’m sure you’re asking
yourself why we need new buildings when we just closed OJHS and the elementary
schools on the hill. Here are some answers: Closing the schools saved money
mainly in personnel (administrative, certified, and classified) and maintenance
for large facilities. Those cost savings will remain.
Timberline still needs the
four classrooms provided by the two trailers the district is currently renting
and maintaining at a high cost. The addition will replace them.
OHS needs additional rooms
if they are to house both seventh and eighth graders as a junior high. The
addition would be dedicated to junior high students. I personally am a big fan
of having those kids all together!
Now is a great time to run the bond levy for a number of reasons: We need
to keep the junior high grades together in Orofino; we need to get our students
out of trailers in Timberline; the Federal and State governments are providing
rare help with funding, but only for a limited time; building costs are low
right now.
Here is what the costs will
be:
Initial Cost
$3,850,000
Less Sinking Fund Earnings
-$640,000
Less Levy Equalization
-$835,000
Net Cost to District
Taxpayers
$2,375,000
Annual impact per $100,000
property value
- Without Homeowners
Exemption
$24.00
- With Homeowners Exemption
$12.00
That’s $1-$2 per month! The
cost breakdown includes savings from those government programs I had mentioned.
Here’s a quick summary of how they work.
First, we will be running a QSCB (Qualified School Construction Bond)
levy. This tool was created through a Federal program that provides bonds at 0%
interest to the District (authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act).
The Sinking Fund is an investment tool. This bond purchase is set up so
that the entire principal amount is not due for payment until 2027 (17 years),
but annual payments will still be made to a sinking fund account where they will
earn interest. The payments along with the interest earned can then be used to
pay off the bond at its maturity.
The Levy Equalization is a program that provides State money to Districts
to pay 20% of the bond repayment costs depending on District need. Our financial
advisor assures us that we have definite financial need according to State
requirements. These funds reduce the amount needed from local property taxes.
Both programs are only available for a limited time, so we need to act
now if we want to take advantage of them.
The bond levy vote will be held on Thursday, Sept. 2 from 12
Absentee voting can be done
at the District Office on
I hear time and again that, “Our children are our future.” Let’s all show
that we mean it by going out and voting for the facilities bond levy on Sept. 2.