Why is Wydown Middle School not included in Proposition S?
The
Board of Education decided to postpone seeking funding for improvements
at Wydown Middle School in order to devote some time to considering
additional options for the middle school. The delay will provide the
Board with the time needed to engage the Clayton community in a
conversation about which option for our middle school is truly the best
for our students, our parents, our patrons and our neighbors.
Is the District still considering moving the middle school to the former CBC High School Campus? No. Read the related news release. The School District of Clayton Board of Education voted unanimously at their March 4, 2009, meeting to:
end all discussions with Washington University concerning the proposed transfer of the Wydown Middle School property and
abandon any consideration of moving Wydown Middle School to the former CBC High School campus.
Why is the District waiting to engage the Clayton community in a dialog about the future of Wydown Middle School? With
Proposition S on the April 2009 ballot, the District needs to maintain
a focus on meeting the facility needs that were identified at the
Family Center, Clayton High School and the three elementary schools. At
their March 4 meeting, the Board directed the District’s administration
to put together a task force to evaluate future options for Wydown
Middle School, with the goal of bringing results back to the Board by
this fall. A recommended option for Wydown Middle School could then be
placed on a ballot for voter approval as early as April 2010.
I’ve
heard that the bonds for Proposition S are structured in a way that
will allow the District to return to voters next year with a proposal
for a zero-tax-rate increase bond issue to address Wydown’s needs. Is
that true? If so, would that zero-tax-rate increase just going to fund
an addition? Or could it be enough to fund a full or partial
replacement of the middle school? The District was very
conservative in estimating the 29-incent increase and structuring the
bonds for Proposition S. A big reason for this conservative approach
was a desire to create the best possible situation in which to return
to voters next year with a bond issue to address needs at Wydown Middle
School. Presenting voters with a zero-tax-rate increase proposal to
fund improvements at Wydown will significantly increase the bond
issue’s opportunity for success. In addition to fully funding all of
the projects identified in Proposition S, the successful passage of a
29-cent increase will position the District to:
Fund the
renovations/additions to Wydown (as identified in the Master Plan) with
a zero-tax-rate increase bond issue on April 2010 or
Fund a
full or partial replacement of Wydown Middle School with a
zero-tax-rate increase or very minimal tax rate increase in April 2010
Even if it won’t require
a tax-rate increase, can the District move forward with a construction
project for WMS without voter approval of another bond issue? Absolutely
not. Even if a future proposal for Wydown Middle School were a
“zero-tax-rate increase” proposal, the District would still need voter
approval to sell the bonds. Proposition S would authorize the sale of
$51 million worth of bonds, which is exactly enough to fund projects at
CHS, the elementary schools and the Family Center. Therefore, the
District would need to return for voter authorization to sell bonds in
order to move forward with a project for its middle school.
Does the District know what it will cost to address the needs at WMS? Yes,
the District does know what those options could cost. The estimated
costs associated with improving Wydown depend on how those improvements
are addressed. The following were developed as alternatives during the
master planning process:
A renovation and addition to the current school is estimated to cost $19.6 million.
A new middle school, which would be sized to meet the needs identified in the master plan, is projected to cost $45 million.
A
partial tear down and replacement of the current school is estimated to
cost $34 to $36 million, depending on the final design.
