The Joel E. Barber C-5 Board of Education was reminded during the regularly scheduled board meeting Thursday in the school library that the district missed an opportunity by not passing the 2004 bond issue.
"There is no doubt that we need to build and we are going to have to do something and we may choose to run something (a bond issue) in April," said board member Amie Jackson. "As a patron, I want my child educated the best possible way that the district can provide. We want to compete with other schools, we want to pay our teachers the same that other school districts (do), but we can't afford to."
"It's going to come down to whether people who live in this district want to pay more in taxes and, therefore, see it trickle down to see how their students are learning, paying our teachers and keeping our teachers because we're paying them more or we can continue to run with a deficit, which is what we're going to do for the next few years and there's not going to be teacher raises and there's not going to be new computers because we as a board are faced with a very huge dilemma in the next few years."
Jackson said the district has grown more than she anticipated. She said having 525 students is just the beginning of what is to come if growth continues.
"There is not extra money. The programs we have right now are barely enough. You can't run a school in the negative for very many years, so it's our job as a board to get the word out to the patrons and get something passed."
Superintendent Jason Buckner said the board is seeking focus and direction to best plan for the district's increasing student growth. He said there needs to be a plan organized in the next four to six weeks.
"We have the same problems we had last year, but intensified," Buckner said. "We have 30 more kids than we did last year and with an enrollment of 500 that's a pretty good increase."
Buckner said the district worked hard in 2004 to survey and educate the district about school needs. He said the state's cost-share program and lower interest rates was a missed opportunity.
Buckner said the $1.85 million project was proposed to cost patrons a little less than a 25-cent tax levy per $100 valuation, but because of increased assessed valuation it would only have cost about 21 to 22 cents. He said that same project today would cost patrons 50 to 55 cents.
Commerce Bank public finance specialists Matt DeLeo and Howard Neeley, of St. Louis, reviewed the district's options. Financing options included holding a general obligation bond or a leasehold revenue bond in 2006.
Neeley said the general obligation bond is the best option because it gives voters an up or down vote on whether to do a project. He said patrons know what the payments are. A benefit is that the levy can adjust up or down with assessed value.
Neeley said another option is to have a revenue bond. He said it requires the board to issue and pay from the capital project fund and must have cash flow to make payments. It requires only a 50 percent approval to pass.
Buckner said the earliest the board would consider a bond issue is in the April election. The other election dates that allow a four-sevenths vote are in August and November. The deadline for an April election is Jan. 24, 2006.
"At this point in time, we are just trying to take it all in and regurgitate it to think ‘what are we going to do?'" Buckner said. "I expect people will be thinking about it during the next three or four weeks and calling me on the phone.
"We need to make a plan and put some direction to a plan. It has to come together pretty quickly again, because we are already in the middle of October."
As a condition of sentencing, John Dale Adamson, 17, gave a public apology for vandalizing Joel E. Barber March 4 at the beginning Thursday's board meeting.
"I just wanted to let everybody know that I am sorry for vandalizing your school," Adamson said. "It's not easy for you and it's not easy for me. I just hope you accept my apology. I'm very sorry for what I did."
School board member Scott Kinion acknowledged Adamson's apology. He said the board will need to review the impact statement to ensure the court's requirements are met.
Attorney Bob O'Neil, who accompanied Adamson at the meeting, said Adamson was charged and pleaded guilty to two class C felonies, steeling and burglary, that each carry a sentence of seven years in the department of corrections. He said Adamson is to report Saturday morning to the Laclede County Jail to begin his sentence.
"This is a very severe punishment for what took place, even though he is very sorry and there was a significant amount of damage to the school," O'Neil said.
O'Neil said Laclede County Associate Circuit Judge Christine Hutson has allowed provisions in the statute, including a public apology and paying for restitution of school damages.
"If he does certain things, behaves himself properly and does the things that the prison asks him to do after serving 20 days he can be released on probation," O'Neil said.
"John Adamson was one of the individuals that pled guilty to vandalizing the school," Buckner said. "It's a big step for him as a 17-year-old young adult to be able to step in here and apologize. I hope for his sake that he makes a lot more sound decisions in the future and I hope, if anything, this gives him direction to become a better person and better citizen and make wiser choices."
Buckner said Excel Lighting has been replacing light fixtures and will be finished Sunday. He said patrons should not be concerned if they see the school's lights on late at night this weekend.
The board approved a performance contract in September with Excel Lighting to replace all the light fixtures and bulbs at the school. Buckner said the project will be paid through utilities savings over the next seven years. The board set the maximum cost of the project at $61,050.
Buckner reminded the board that the district will have about a $200,000 budget deficit this school year. He said financial pressures are even tighter because of student growth and things like gas prices.
"Looking at next year's 15 percent of the new (foundation) formula we will still be deficit spend especially if we are going to buy a bus and have salary increases," Buckner said. "We do have a pretty good fund balance, but we are going to have to spend a few dollars on our operating in the next few years."
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