BVSD 5A - $350M Bond for Facility Construction and Maintenance

BVSD is asking voters to increase property taxes to finance a $350M bond to allow BVSD to replace the 1950s New Vista High School building with a modern school, build a new elementary school in Erie, increase career and technical education offerings and pay for other facility maintenance needs.

BVSD has proposed and voters have approved bonds in 8-year cycles: 2014 (CO record-setting $576M), 2006 ($297M) and 1998 ($64M). This time, however, there is discussion of coming back to voters in 4 years for another bond. An earlier version of the ballot language included approval to recalculate the debt limit, but that was taken out. If BVSD comes back with a request for a similar-size bond in 4 years, the issue of bumping up against the debt limit will become more important.

New Vista’s 2014 bond money was for remodeling and maintenance, but by the time the bond work was supposed to start, BVSD concluded that an entirely new building would be a better way to spend the money. That leftover 2014 money would combine with some of this 2022 bond money to pay for New Vista’s new building.

Every school is due to get some funding, which is not surprising because more than half of this bond money is for maintenance. No wonder bond requests appear on a regular cycle because maintenance is an ongoing need.

Recommendation: TAX

Ideally, BVSD would have a strategic plan for funding maintenance that doesn’t include long-term bonding.

BVSD convened a Long Range Advisory Committee to discuss declining enrollment. Some schools may be recommended for closure. BVSD plans to fund projects in high schools first because they are not in danger of closure.

Website for the Yes side
No known website – Info on a proponents’ website appreciated.
BVSD’s Critical Needs webpage: https://www.bvsd.org/current-topics/critical-needs

Website for the No side
No known website – Info on an opponents’ website appreciated.


Approved Ballot Language
Boulder Valley School District RE-2
Ballot Issue 5A

SHALL BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT RE-2 DEBT BE INCREASED BY $350 MILLION, WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF NOT TO EXCEED $714 MILLION, AND SHALL DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED NOT MORE THAN $32 MILLION ANNUALLY, BY THE ISSUANCE AND PAYMENT OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ALL FOR THE PURPOSES DESCRIBED IN THE DISTRICT'S FACILITIES CRITICAL NEEDS PLAN APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND WILL BE MONITORED BY A COMMUNITY BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

   - INVESTING IN DISTRICT SCHOOLS, SITES, AND FACILITIES BY REPAIRING, REPLACING, AND/OR UPGRADING INFRASTRUCTURE, BUILDING SYSTEMS AND FINISHES, AND REMOVING ASBESTOS FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADDRESSING URGENT FACILITY DEFICIENCIES, IMPROVING THE LEARNING AND WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF, EXPANDING ADA ACCESSIBILITY, EXTENDING THE SERVICE LIFE OF BUILDINGS, IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND CREATING SAFER LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS;
   - ADDRESSING EDUCATIONAL DEFICIENCIES IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) BY RENOVATING LEARNING SPACES TO CONSTRUCT INDUSTRY-INSPIRED ENVIRONMENTS, INCLUDING LAB-LIKE CLASSROOMS AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND MODERNIZING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AT THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTER;
   - REPLACING THE 70-YEAR-OLD NEW VISTA HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING WHICH HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE, WITH A MODERN, ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING;
   - CONSTRUCTING AND EQUIPPING AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS IN ERIE, COLORADO TO ACCOMMODATE ENROLLMENT GROWTH AND RELIEVE OVERCROWDING AT OTHER DISTRICT SCHOOLS;

WITH SUCH GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO BE SOLD, BEAR INTEREST, MATURE, BE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, WITH OR WITHOUT PREMIUM OF NOT MORE THAN THREE PERCENT, AND BE ISSUED AT SUCH TIME, AT SUCH PRICE (AT, ABOVE OR BELOW PAR) IN SUCH MANNER AND CONTAINING SUCH TERMS NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THIS BALLOT ISSUE, AS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY DETERMINE, AND SHALL THE MILL BE IMPOSED IN ANY YEAR AT A MILL LEVY SUFFICIENT TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON SUCH DEBT OR ANY REFUNDING DEBT, OR TO CREATE A RESERVE FOR SUCH PAYMENT, PROVIDED THAT ANY REVENUE PRODUCED BY SUCH LEVY SHALL NOT EXCEED $32 MILLION ANNUALLY?

Resolution 22-24 to refer Issue 5A to the voters
https://go.boarddocs.com/co/bvsd/Board.nsf/files/CH5S5D70C4A7/$file/Resolution%2022-24%20Election%20Resolution%20with%20Ballot%20Language.pdf