School bonds supported at forum

Audience members at Tuesday night's information forum at the Alaska Club Community Theater heard much support for the four school bond propositions that will be voted on Tuesday. Propositions 1 through 4 addresses the school district needs ranging from a new technical and career high school center to maintenance needs of the district's newly remodeled administration building. The following introduces each proposition, the possible cost to the taxpayer, and the comments from mayoral candidates and other forum panelist on the specific propositions.

Proposition 1

If approved this would allow the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to incur debt and issue general obligation bonds not to exceed $44,250,000. The state of Alaska has promised to reimburse 60 percent of that amount, by letter from the Department of Education. The bonds would pay for a new Career and Technical Center high school, a new nutrition service facility, a new Wasilla area elementary school and a permanent site for Palmer's alternative high school Valley Pathways. If the state decided not to reimburse the borough, the cost to the individual taxpayer would be $40.34 per $100,000 assessed value.

"Not all children want to go to college -- doesn't that mean they shouldn't have good-paying jobs? No, it does not," said Wasilla mayor Diane Keller, speaking in support of Proposition 1 and in particular the career and technical facility, which would allow high school students to be trained and receive certification in a number of vocational careers along with their high school diploma.

"There is always risk involved," said borough mayor and candidate Tim Anderson about the possibility of the state not reimbursing the bonds. "I think the risk is minimal."

Proposition 2

This proposition would allow the borough to incur debt up to $16,285,000 to provide permanent sites for the Valley's two charter schools, Midnight Sun Charter School and Academy Charter School. This proposition is also eligible for a 60 percent reimbursement from the state; if not reimbursed, the taxpayer would pay $14.89 per year per $100,000 assessed value. During the forum some people questioned whether these schools were directed only toward a specific group of Valley students. School district public information specialist Kim Floyd responded that a charter school is considered a public school.

"I think we have to remember that there is a requirement that we educate all children," Floyd said. "Right now Midnight Sun is housed in a strip mall, and Academy is in a former borough maintenance site."

Palmer mayor Jim Cooper replied, "Not everyone fits in a round hole at a public school. The state has said charter schools are public schools. As a result, the same public funding is available to these students as well."

Proposition 3

This would allow the borough to incur debt of no more than $6,495,000 to pay for school district maintenance projects that have been deferred during the last 10 years. Seventy-eight projects would be completed through this proposition, and the state has promised to reimburse the borough at 70 percent. The cost if the bonds were not reimbursed would be $4.47 to individual taxpayers per year. These projects are needed to maintain the district's buildings and to prevent complete replacement of schools in the future, Floyd said.

"These are what we call meat and potato projects," Floyd said.

"You get what you pay for," said borough mayor candidate Steve Menard.

"How safe do you want our schools?" questioned Cooper.

Proposition 4

This proposition would allow the borough to incur debt up to $3,650,000 to perform maintenance projects on the administration building. Though the district just renovated the old Sherrod Elementary School into the district's administration building, there is still work that is needed to be done, according to Floyd. The state has promised to reimburse at 70 percent, if not, the cost would be $2.52 to the individual taxpayer. Chief school administrator Bob Doyle has been quoted saying that this proposition may be the 'lame duck' of the four, since it does not speak directly to student-inhabited buildings or student-based projects. But panel members stressed the importance of this proposition, reminding taxpayers that the district saved money already by moving into an already existing building instead of building a new administration office.

"Administration costs are never popular, but you can't have a school district this size without an adequate administration building," Anderson said.

"These aren't frivolous projects," said borough mayoral candidate Charlie Fannon. "The need is not going to go away."

For more information on these and other propositions, visit www.voteoct7.com.