MSBSD may ask for $232M

PALMER — Valley homeowners could be asked to approve a $232 million school bond issue this fall to build two schools in the exploding Knik-Goose Bay residential area, replace two other schools and upgrade existing schools.

This comes on the heels of a narrowly approved $34 million bond issue last October to replace school roofs, upgrade fire alarms, clear asbestos and replace an aging boiler at Swanson Elementary, among other maintenance projects. However, a $9 million school athletic improvements bond and a $32.5 million borough road bond proposal were defeated in the same election.

Shannon Bingham, the school district’s facilities planning consultant, told the school board Wednesday that with years of deferred maintenance on district facilities and the increase of about 4,000 additional students in Valley schools every decade since 1980, the need for funds to cover construction and repairs over the next five years is critical.

“The current maintenance bond is being put to good use this summer with nine schools receiving roof repair or replacement, 10 schools receiving fire alarm replacement and three schools receiving (Americans with Disabilities Act) upgrades,” Bingham reported. “But many further critical facility upgrades are needed. The magnitude of life safety and facility upgrades cannot be funded via annual maintenance budgets. Delayed needs are larger than ever and will result in a larger bond package.”

Since the state picks up between 60 percent and 70 percent of the cost of a school bond, a $232 million bond issue would cost a Valley homeowner between $80 and $107 in annual property taxes for each $100,000 of assessed value. That comes out to $6.67 to $8.92 per month respectively, Bingham said.

Bingham argued that the need for an additional elementary school and a combined middle/high school in the KGB area is immediate since that corridor has seen the most growth over the last few years and is contributing to overcrowding at Wasilla schools.

He said there are 76 portable classrooms in use in Mat-Su, compared to 115 portables in Anchorage schools and there are 31,000 more students in Anchorage.

The district also wants to replace Iditarod Elementary and build Valley Pathways a new school so staff and students at that alternative school off the Palmer-Wasilla Highway don’t have to travel from portable to portable all day.

Other vital repairs and upgrades include replacing a 33-year-old generator, over-burdened electrical systems, worn-out lockers, rusty bathroom wash stations, stained carpets, drafty windows, cracked asphalts, worn-out fields and a myriad of other items that have reached the end of their useful life.

A breakdown of various costs to the district if there’s a 70/30 split with the state include:

• A new elementary and secondary school along KGB totals about $29 million.

• A new school for Valley Pathways is about $7 million.

• A new building for Iditarod Elementary would run the district about $8 million.

• New lockers at Houston Middle and Palmer High schools would run about $100,000.

• Athletic field improvements at various Valley schools would cost about $5.4 million.

• Energy upgrades at the administration building and various schools would run about $1.9 million.

After a May 3 board work session on the issue, board members wanted to know how to go about asking Mat-Su Borough officials to put a bond issue on the Oct. 5 ballot.

Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Ken Forrest told the board that the borough assembly has nearly unlimited authority to act on, deny, modify or approve the board’s proposal.

The borough is required to pass an ordinance no later than 53 days prior to the election.

Forrest said the school district can pass a resolution in support of a ballot proposal, and can provide “factual information” on the issue only during presentations or upon request.

He said the board can conduct a survey to determine citizen support for a bond and expend public funds to do the survey.

The issue was discussed as a non-action item Wednesday, but will be presented for a first reading as an action item at the board’s May 11 meeting, beginning at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Palmer High School Library. The next meeting is scheduled for June 1 at the same time and location.

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.mckee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.