Maize school board votes to put $83.5 million in bond projects on ballot

The Maize school board voted unanimously Monday to put $83.5 million worth of bond projects before voters this summer.

The board also voted 4-3 to keep the district’s current preference-card system for assigning students to middle and high schools – ending more than two years of discussion and debate over the placement issue.

Board members April Barnard, Matt Jensby and Bruce Nicholson voted against the motion to maintain the status quo on student placement, arguing that the system would continue to be a problem.

“Why in the world are we setting up a situation where this (problem) is going to continue every single year?” Barnard said, shaking her head.

Board president Wendi White, who proposed keeping the current system, said the suggested alternatives – establishing boundaries or a feeder-pattern system – were worse.

“Enforcing boundaries at this time would create more questions, more concerns, more unrest, more chaos for the majority of our current Maize families,” she said.

Unlike most school districts, Maize has no geographical attendance boundaries that determine where a child goes to school. Instead, families with students in fifth and eighth grades submit a preference card indicating which middle or high school they would like their children to attend.

More than two years ago, district officials began to explore other options after a group of parents became upset that their children didn’t get their preferred assignments. Since then, the district has appointed a task force, polled families and hired a consultant to draw up potential boundaries.

Jensby lobbied for change, saying the preference-card system means families never know for sure which school their children will attend.

“We owe it to people to make a decision,” he said. “We need to look down the road, not just today. … There will be a revolt if we don’t.”

On the bond issue, board members opted to split the proposed bond into two ballot questions, separating a $12.8 million pool and natatorium complex from the remainder of the projects.

The first ballot question, for $70.7 million, will include an expansion of Maize Middle School, a new career and technical education center at Maize High, a new transportation facility, an early childhood center and nearly $14 million in athletic upgrades.

The second ballot question will ask voters whether the district should build a $12.8 million pool and natatorium complex. Board members split off the pool project because they feared opposition to it could endanger the rest of the bond

The proposed bond would increase the district’s mill levy by about 1 mill – about $11.50 a year for the owner of a $100,000 home. It likely will go to voters as a mail-in ballot in June.

Included in the bond are about $6 million for roof repairs and more than $2 million for other improvements, including some track and turf repairs, intended to lessen the burden on the district’s capital outlay budget.

Superintendent Doug Powers said after the meeting that the bond proposal is “a great bargain” for taxpayers and would take the district into the future.

“It is a big night and a big number … and very important to us,” he said. “A lot of these projects will help build the future for our kids.”

This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Maize school board votes to put $83.5 million in bond projects on ballot."