Mesa school and city leaders considering bond votes in November are moving closer to those decisions.
But it’s still unclear how much they’ll be asking businesses and homeowners to give them.
The Mesa Unified School District governing board considered a bond question last year, but yanked that decision amid concern about the economy.
Now, with recommendations from a facilities planning committee and district leaders and the consensus that facilities need drastic repairs, the board is considering a $275 million question for the Nov. 6 ballot.
The city of Mesa is also considering a bond package this fall, but no specific amounts have been identified so far. The City Council will take up the issue for the first time Thursday as it reviews public reaction to park improvement scenarios identified through the iMesa initiative for community improvement.
Mesa school staff identified $130 million in essential repairs and renovations that are needed over the next five years. Last week, a governing board study session focused on another piece of the recommended bond question — transportation.
School leaders, looking at the age of buses and when they need to be replaced, recommended lowering the amount of funds needed for that task, from $19 million to $9 million. That would bring the recommended full-bond package down from $285 million that the committee suggested to $275 million.
Board members said in a meeting following the study session that they will continue to see if the bond question can be trimmed more.
“We’re going to look at everything we can to reduce the bond where we can, but one thing is very clear, and I think this committee enforced that, and that is the need that we have to be able to have quality, good schools. At the same time we have to look at technology. We have to do the things to keep Mesa schools on top,” board member Mike Hughes said.
The governing board must tell the county by June 9 how much the bond question will be for on Nov. 6, but it has time after that to break down where the funds will be spent.
Another piece for transportation in the proposal includes $9 million to make repairs at three transportation yards, or hubs for school buses.
The board was shown photos of leaking toilets, water damaged roofs and decaying walls. Members were told that in some areas where mechanics work, the cooling system is so insufficient that it reaches 144 degrees. A photo was shown to demonstrate that.
The problem, school leaders say, is that the state has failed to fund building renewal dollars that were supposed to be earmarked for school upkeep.
The last Mesa school district bond election was in 2005, when voters approved $212.5 million.
Superintendent Mike Cowan told the board that a $275 million bond is “viable and sustainable” for the community. He also noted the need for the $130 million in repairs around the 220-square-mile district.
“That’s not to make schools look prettier, bigger or aesthetically pleasing, that’s literally getting down to nuts and bolts,” Cowan said.
Board members asked Cowan and the district’s business staff to come back with information about the district’s bonding capacity at a future meeting.
Arizona school districts can vote to tax themselves to provide additional dollars to public districts. However, there is a limit, based on the value of home properties.
And in recent years, property values have plummeted. Districts can only have so much debt on their hands at one time.
As of June 30, 2011, the district had $271 million in outstanding debt that included the sale of the voter-approved 2005 bonds, as well as other items.
As Mesa school district considers what to do with the November election, the City Council has discussed iMesa initiatives for months while anticipating any park bonds that would be on the ballot at the same time as a substantial school bond package. City Manager Chris Brady said the school bond — and the final dollar amount asked for — would affect what the city considers.
“We’re not going to be anywhere near that number,” Brady said. “We’ll be much more modest than that, I’m sure.”
The city must reach a bond decision by July 2.
Tribune reporter Garin Groff contributed to this story.
Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com
Leon Ceniceros posted at 9:30 pm on Sat, May 26, 2012.
So when the new Mesa School District Bonds are approved, the District will be in debt to the tune of ....1/2 a Billion (with a "B") Dollars in debt. And 5-7 years down the line another $200-$300 Million Dollar Bond will be "absolutely essential" once again and again and again.
The Folks at the Mesa City Hall, not to feel over-looked, decided that after getting Mesa's hard working Tax-Payers to "pony-up" a cool $100 Million Dollar Bond for the Cubs (why should their "billionaire owners" come up with the money) Stadium that looks almost identical to the still well-maintained Hohokum Field instead of the glitzy ......."Wrigley West" drawings that were sent to the voters. Oh well, at least those hard working tax-payers will have plenty of room to have a...........picnic on the grass before or after the game...............all ........26 ACRES OF GRASS.
Maybe the City of Mesa should put in a ........ballot initiative...to change the name of Mesa to..................ATHENS .....???
Bingo6 posted at 2:38 am on Tue, May 29, 2012.
The city should consider doing what Tempe does with its students and issue free semester bus passes to all Mesa school students. Since the Valley Metro buses travel near to most of Mesa's schools many current students could easily take the city buses, that way Mesa could use its current buses with AC to serve those areas without access to Valley Metro, thus saving the cost of extra school buses, while utilizing the current bus routes, sure some students may have to walk a few blocks to school but but the savings in tax dollars from buying fewe buses would free up more money to help the schools themselves.
I would encourage folks to contact Vice Mayor Scott Somers[also a board director for RPTA ]
Another consideration is that students who use Valley Metro buses would be subject to the same rules and laws as the rest of the riding public, whereby disruptive behavior wil not be tolerated, but they will at least be cool.