The vast majority of the District’s funds are used to pay for salaries, utilities and other recurring operating expenses. However, as the District grows, it is necessary to build new schools and other facilities, upgrade technology, and acquire new buses. Bond issues allow the District to pay for new classrooms, buildings and the major repair and upkeep of existing facilities, as well as transportation, technology and security needs. Without issuing bonds, it would be extremely difficult for the District to keep up with the District's growing enrollment.
In August 2008, the Board of Education was presented with projected growth rates for the District. These projections estimated that the enrollment of Deer Creek High School would reach approximately 2,000 students in 2018. In September 2008, Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson organized four long-range planning committees (facilities, curriculum, technology, and safety) to develop plans to accommodate this anticipated growth in the District. Each committee was composed of a mix of parents, administrators, teachers, Board members and other members of the Deer Creek community.
During the 2008-2009 school year, each committee identified certain priorities/goals that it recommended be implemented/achieved over the next eight to ten years. For example, the Facilities Committee developed a comprehensive site plan for the high school which is the basis for many of the construction projects included in the bond initiative.
Utilizing the recommendations of these long-range planning committees, as well as the recommendations of the District's architect and financial consulting firm, the Board of Education developed the final terms of the bond initiative.
Approving the bond initiative did NOT raise your taxes. This bond issue will be sold in a series stretching over six to eight years, keeping tax levels steady with no increase. As a District, we do everything we can to provide for the needs of our schools and their students while keeping tax levels steady to minimize the impact on the District's taxpayers.
Over twenty years ago, the Board of Education pledged to maintain the sinking fund millage for our District at approximately 35 mills and the Board has consistently honored that pledge. The current Board of Education has also pledged not to increase the District's sinking fund millage beyond 35 mills.
For many years, the District has been forced to focus bond issues on the immediate need of increasing capacity in the elementary schools to accommodate the ever-increasing student population. Because of increasing population and the age of certain facilities on the high school campus, we must now turn our attention to the needs of our middle school students and our high school students. Among other things, the bond initiative would build a second middle school, add a significant amount of new classroom space to the high school campus and construct several additional facilities at the high school campus, including a Performing Arts and Athletic Center comparable to the facilities at many 5A and 6A high schools.
The Deer Creek administration would like to keep the high school unified, where the entire District comes together for their final four years of school. This is positive not only for the unity of the student body, but for the community as well. Having one high school is one of the things that makes Deer Creek special. Should a second high school be constructed, the existing campus would still need many improvements.
The Facilities Committee and the administration considered the possibility of building a new high school at a different location. However, the cost and the amount of time involved to build a new high school without increasing taxes in the District precluded any serious consideration of this idea. To acquire the necessary land and build a brand new high school with all of the facilities of a typical 6A high school has been estimated to cost in excess of $60 million. According to our current projections, the District will not be able to sell $60 million of bonds until March 2014. Although the District could possibly build a new high school in phases, the new high school would most likely not be completed until the fall of 2015 at the earliest. In the interim, the District would be forced to deal with overcrowding issues at the elementary schools, the middle school and the high school. In addition, there would be no bond proceeds available for a second middle school, technology, curriculum, etc. until after the completion of the new high school.
The new cafeteria, which opened in December 2009, is designed to accommodate approximately 500 students. The improvements to the high school campus included in this bond initiative are designed to accommodate approximately 2,000 students. In addition to serving a large number of students, a second cafeteria would allow for possible segregation of the lower grades and allow students to get through lines more quickly, have more choices and have more time to eat.
The high school's current gymnasium and auditorium opened in 1986 and 1993, respectively. These facilities met the needs of the students when the high school was a 3A or 4A school. However, neither the current auditorium nor the current gymnasium is sufficient for a 6A school. The proposed Performing Arts and Athletic Center is similar to facilities recently constructed at several 5A and 6A schools, and would provide additional room for athletics, band, choir and drama, as well as facilities for an orchestra. Parents responding to a survey conducted by the Curriculum Committee overwhelmingly supported the addition of orchestra to the high school's curriculum, as well as the expansion of the other fine arts programs.
While most spending from bond proceeds is made on capital improvements like new classrooms, buildings and building maintenance, state law allows bond funds to be used to purchase media materials as well as technology equipment and software. If we did not have the ability to purchase these items with bond proceeds, the District's general fund would have to be used. The general fund is the main operating budget for the District. The vast majority of the general fund is spent on personnel costs. The general fund cannot support the purchases necessary to keep the District's technology and media centers where they need to be.
The District currently has 32 buses and 14 other vehicles. Eighteen of the buses and four of the other vehicles have been driven over 100,000 miles. As enrollment increases, more bus routes, buses and other vehicles will be necessary. To maintain the safest and most reliable student transportation, it is necessary to replace a few buses every year. Newer models are also more fuel-efficient and meet the latest safety regulations.
Each one of Deer Creek's school sites will benefit from the bond initiative. Bond monies will be available District wide for things such as: roof repair and replacement; security equipment (fire alarms, security cameras and more); HVAC repair and replacement; technology; athletic equipment; curriculum; new playground equipment or repairs to existing playground equipment; furniture; and general maintenance.
For the bond initiative to pass, 60% of the votes cast must vote in favor. By state law, the portion of the bonds to be issued for the purchase of transportation equipment must have been voted upon separately. Accordingly, there were two separate proposals -- one for transportation equipment and one for all other projects -- to vote upon.
State law requires that the District identify with particularity the purposes and projects for which at least 70% of the bond proceeds will be spent. State law also requires that at least 85% of the monies allocated to a particular project be spent on that project unless the project can be completed for a smaller amount of money.
Anyone who lived within the 72 square miles that make up the Deer Creek Public School District could have voted. You did not have to have a child attending school in order to vote.
Anyone wanting additional information about the bond initiative may contact Superintendent of Schools, Sean McDaniel, or any member of the Board of Education.