New London School District readies for Tuesday?s bond issue

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? It?s all up to the voters now.

The New London Community School District held its second of three informational meetings regarding the April 5 bond issue on Saturday. The final meeting will be held tonight (Monday) at the North Campus board room, with a tour following.

The Saturday meeting, which began at 10 a.m., and lasted just about an hour, allowed for residents to hear presentations and ask questions of project architect, Bob Ormbsy and project finances from Matthew Gillaspie, of Piper Jaffray.

?I wanted to get answers to all of the questions I had,? said New London resident David Simmons. And he did feel like he got the answers he was looking for.

?I?m a conservative individual and I like to see that this will do the district good and the district is being financially responsible,? he added.

At the end of the informal meeting, Simmons said he would be voting ?yes? to the bond issue. ?I?m happy the school board has taken an, I guess I?ll call it an easy approach, they?re doing it in stages. I?ll support this,? he said.

The bond issue includes adding a new standing seam metal roof to Clark Elementary School; placing a new membrane roof over a portion of the High School/Middle School, specifically over the band room; storm and waste piping modifications, including a new water line and sink to the concessions, demolishing existing under floor waste piping and replacing with new and re-directing building foundation drainage from the existing sump pup in the science room to gravity drain to a new four inch storm pipe.

Other improvements include new bleachers, lighting around the football field, a new grandstand as well as new concessions and restrooms.

The bond specs also include a new six-lane all-weather track, however an estimated $229,000 has been raised for the track and will be paid for out of a separate account.

The total bond is for $2,225,000.

Simmons said four or five years ago, the board tried to pass a bond that had a lot of ?extras?, however he felt the current board learned from pass mistakes and really narrowed the projects to necessary items.

?The roof, the water and waste services, they are all things that need to be done,? said Simmons.

Simmons said the only luxury he saw on the program was the track, but the district has ?done that in a fiscally responsible way? by raising the money and paying for the track separate.

The bond, Gillaspie told those in attendance, would be on an eight to nine year bond, but not to expect their taxes to rise. ?The estimated tax levy for the bond would be right at about $2.70 (per $1,000 taxable valuation) and that?s basically what you?ve been paying for the last three years with the smaller component of the bond you approved last time,? he said.

The previous payment is set to be paid off on May 1, 2016. ?This bond would just take over? we don?t expect your taxes to go up or down, they would just continue on,? he explained.

Gillaspie added he couldn?t be certain of interest rates until the bonding occurred, but at this point in time, interest rates were looking pretty good.

One of the main concerns for those in attendance was the work the city would be doing to the football field, and whether the district could save any money by piggy-backing off of its project.

The football field is currently sinking, due to problems with the storm sewer, which runs below the length of the football field, and is creating possible sinkhole effects. The New London City Council first brought up the issue last fall, but decided to hold off on repairs until after the 2016 football season.

New London Superintendent Steve McAllister said that if the bond passes, the school district and city council would be meeting to discuss and coordinate joint efforts.

Ormbsy said he had also been in contact with the city engineer. He added the district might see some decreased costs due to ?efficiency? if their project coincided with the city, but it wouldn?t be like the city would pay for a new football field ? they must simply replace the field to like or better condition.

In the end, Lindsay Porter, school board president, said she felt the meeting went very well. ?All of the bond items are needs for the district, for our students? health and safety,? she said.

Porter added she hopes to see everyone out at the polls. New London residents polling place is the New London Community Hall and polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m., on Tuesday, April 5.