Vote Yes on school bond vote

[ShockBand]

One of the biggest eye openers to me was how this bond relates to a recent one if looked at on a per capita (students) basis. This past spring, Valley Center passed a 57 million dollar bond issue. If the USD 259 bond was equal on a per capita basis, it would be over one BILLION dollars.

Also remember these athletic facilities aren't just for the sports teams, they are for PE classes as well. Lord knows many kids need some lifetime wellness as part of their education.

[shocker856]

Abc i worked for the school board during the summer, materials cost to fix things. The east auditorium would cost a ton to fix. So why spend close to the same amount on fixing the old dump when you could build a safer more reliable auditorium.

[Shocker85]

A few more items addressing some points above:

The prior USD 259 bond was approved in 2000. I believe all projects have been completed. According to the WSU Center for Economic Development and Business Research, the 2000 bond issue supported almost 9,000 jobs in the area, thus returning the money into the Wichita economy.

In my view USD 259 had an excellent plan going into the 2000 capital plan. There were portable classrooms all around the district (ever spent much time in a portable? They're aweful.) Several elementary schools were razed and new buildings built. A new middle school was added in the quickly growing northern part of the district. The new schools aren't plush or overindulgent, they have facilities that reflect the education philosiphies of the 2000 era, not those of the 1930's, '40's or 50's. Our older kids attended Washington Elementary, which was a dump. The older schools had no provisions for disabled access, wiring to support computers and other electronics used in education today, and no air conditioning. Most of the older middle and high schools had antiquated science labs, technology/media centers, etc. These were necessary upgrades to bring the schools up to standards. Again, no excesses or abuse from what I have seen.

Upgrades to facilities at the middle schools and high schools of which I have first-hand knowledge were well thought-out and very necessary. Coleman Middle school had a new wing of classrooms added for science labs and other classrooms. East High had extensive work throughout the school. The current East High was once East and Roosevelt junior high. Renovation of cafeteria and library/media center, addition of a science wing, and new gym were the most obvious improvements. All were sorely needed, and rather than tear down the old gym and waste that space, it was converted to classrooms.

Part of the reason things got so bad was that the BOE cut back maintenance budgets in the '80's and '90's to the point where only upkeep could be afforded. The facilities weren't being negelected, they just got old. You know, over decades buildings settle causing walls and foundations to crack, pipes and wiring wear out, etc. It had become time for majpr renovation or replacement.

Much of the core facilities were addressed to bring the physical plants up to 21st century standards with the 2000 bond. Now the 2008 bond can finish that job and address issues to improve the quality of education in USD 259.

I don't work for the district, but I respect the work they've done. All kids, present and future, in Wichita need and deserve the planned improvements.

--'85.

[Shox151]

Trust me ben you will get a lot from driving by those schools. Drive by north high and look at the batting cages. Ben northwest is a phenominal school but there not a poverty school. Schools like north,west,southeast, there poverty schools, they need this!!

As a NW grad, and unless things changed from last year, the facilities there are not in as good of shape as I remember them being when I played there, over 10 years ago. The football field and track looked horrible the last game I went to last year, the soccer field had dead spots. I do see they added better baseball and softball. I no longer live in the Wichita district, now in Andale area, where we voted in the last couple years for improved athletic facilities, which at some point perhaps I will have kids that will receive the benefit of, so I voted yes to that, and if I were in Wichita I would vote yes for this as I did for the last one when I still lived in Wichita.

[shocker856]

The field is in better shape the track got fixed up last summer but there are still area's for improvement what I ment when saying there facilities look phenominal, was ment compared to schools like north,west,southeast ,etc.. those schools dont even have a football field. Those fields i belive are used for jv games but im suprised they even let them use those fields. The tracks are dirt and there is barely any dirt on them.

What i found ammusing today in the comment section in the newspaper today was the fact a person suggested that parents just pay for memberships. They don't realize how much it cost for a month do they??

[ShockerFever]

The prior USD 259 bond was approved in 2000. I believe all projects have been completed. According to the WSU Center for Economic Development and Business Research, the 2000 bond issue supported almost 9,000 jobs in the area, thus returning the money into the Wichita economy.

Thanks for a couple of the answers. Do you, by any chance, remember the actual figure for the bond issue? Was it around $200 mil? I can't remember.

So if this were to pass, that would be over a half a billion dollars in 8 years. Wow. Was the Wichita school district really this bad?

[ShockerFever]

Also, a newb question.

I'm not that old and I never bothered to ask, but if you live in the city of Wichita, but in the Maize school district, would you be paying for the bond issue if it passed? Probably a stupid question. Is it a City of Wichita thing or a Wichita school district only thing?

[RoyalShock]

Also, a newb question.

I'm not that old and I never bothered to ask, but if you live in the city of Wichita, but in the Maize school district, would you paying for the bond issue if it passed?

Since a school district is a taxing entity, I believe you only pay the portion of property tax for the district you are in. A city is a separate taxing entity.

[shocker856]

Shockerfever too answer your question if the school district really this bad??? yes..honestly this is a very important bond issue i belive that that in the 2000 bond issue that the athletic facilites were going to be on that bond they decided to hold off too make sure it passed because they knew that there would be people skeptical. This bond issue revolves on the fact that the facilites are falling apart and are so out dated that its becoming dangerous for the kids too play.

Also look at the fact that the city leauge football games got cancelled that one week because of all the rain, maize and other schools could play because they have turf and the city leauge games had to be cancelled because the fields were flooded and unplayable.

[shocrates]

Why can't USD 259 build one or two of these facilities with bond money?

http://www.cjonline.com/stories/022406/opi_eddy.shtml

[shocker856]

Because many schools need new facilities not just highschools but even middle schools need new tracks. Middle schools and highschools are in bad shape.

[ABC]

The "economic impact" study had a fatal flaw.

Do you really think the 2000 bond issue created 9,000 jobs? That is such stupidity I don't know where to begin.

The study treated the money as if it floated down from heaven.

Secondly, it didn't take in to account the opportunity cost of the money. (what else could have been done with the money)

Taking $1, $100 or $10,000 and giving to a construction company is not the creation of wealth.

You can make some arguments for the bond issue, but this isn't one of them.

[shockmonster]

Address your economic impact study to WSU. They did the study. I think that their point is that the jobs on the last bond were only paid to companies within the taxing entity and the jobs went to help local companies that paid the higher taxes.

If USD 259 people think that their taxes are high, you need to look at surrounding communities. My taxes cost about $2,000 p/m. I know of a house in USD 259 that is not worth quite as much as mine where the cost is $1500.00 p/m. This tax would increas this house less than $4.00 p/m. To help kids, this isn't much.

[RoyalShock]

Address your economic impact study to WSU. They did the study. I think that their point is that the jobs on the last bond were only paid to companies within the taxing entity and the jobs went to help local companies that paid the higher taxes.

If USD 259 people think that their taxes are high, you need to look at surrounding communities. My taxes cost about $2,000 p/m. I know of a house in USD 259 that is not worth quite as much as mine where the cost is $1500.00 p/m. This tax would increas this house less than $4.00 p/m. To help kids, this isn't much.

$2000 per month in property taxes?

[Shirley Schmidt]

$2000 per month in property taxes?

Sounds reasonable to me, after all it is to “Help the Kids”.