Maize voters OK $70.7 million bond issue, reject swimming pool complex

Voters in the Maize school district have approved a bond issue for $70.7 million worth of school improvements but rejected a proposal to build a $12.8 million swimming pool complex.

According to unofficial results posted by the Sedgwick County election office Tuesday afternoon, about 53 percent of Maize voters voted yes on their mail-in ballots for the first ballot question, which will finance an expansion of Maize Middle School, storm shelters at Maize High School, an early childhood center and more.

Voters soundly rejected the second ballot question, with about 61 percent voting no. That measure would have authorized the district to build a swimming pool and natatorium complex intended to be used by the district and the community.

In Haysville, voters on Tuesday approved $59 million worth of projects, including a new school, storm shelters, secured entryways and a swimming pool complex.

During a news conference at Maize Middle School on Tuesday, Maize superintendent Doug Powers said approval of the larger bond ballot measure would “create a safe and promising future for all of our students.”

“A lot of good things will come out of it,” he said.

Powers said Maize officials plan to move quickly – before the end of this month – to issue bonds in order to secure state aid that would pay 38 percent of the bond principal and interest. State lawmakers have hinted at reducing the level of state aid, possibly as early as July 1.

“We’re developing a plan – hoping for the best but preparing for the worst,” Powers said. “We want to lock in that 38 percent state aid … so we’re preparing right now to have our bonds sold on or before June 30.”

Results from the second ballot measure mark the first time in recent history that Maize voters have rejected a bond issue. Since 1977, voters have approved six bond issues worth about $120 million.

Maize school board members split off the pool project as a separate ballot question because they feared opposition to it could endanger the rest of the bond issue. The bond measure approved Tuesday is the largest in the district’s history.

Together, the two proposed bond issues would have increased the Maize district’s mill levy by about 1 mill – about $23 a year for the owner of a $200,000 house. The mill levy increase for the first ballot measure alone will be 0.7 mills – about $16.10 a year for the owner of a $200,000 house.

The list of expansions and upgrades approved Tuesday includes:

▪ Renovating and expanding Maize Middle School by about 40,000 square feet, increasing its capacity from 750 to 900 students

▪ A $9 million career and professional center at Maize High, which would serve all district students

▪ A new Early Childhood Center designed to accommodate 300 pre-schoolers and the district’s Parents as Teachers programs, estimated at $6.7 million

▪ A new transportation facility for the district’s 110 buses and vans, with lifts and other equipment, estimated at $4.2 million

▪ Additions and improvements to Maize South High, including an expanded cafeteria, counseling, science, special education, fine arts storage and gym lobby

▪ Roof replacements, technology upgrades and infrastructure improvements at various buildings

▪ A Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved storm shelter at Maize High, which would cost about $1.9 million

Last spring, Maize school board members briefly tabled a proposal for a new aquatic center, in part because nearby Goddard was moving forward with plans for an Olympic-quality natatorium complex. They later agreed to put the question to voters as a separate ballot measure to gauge public sentiment on the project.

Currently, Maize High and Maize South High swim teams practice together at the Northwest YMCA as part of a district partnership with the Y.

“It is a little disappointing, personally, to see that defeated,” Powers said Tuesday.

“We did some surveys, and the pool was something that was strongly supported by our facilities group, so we put it out there. But we did hear patrons talk about it, and that’s why we separated it out,” he said.

“As the district moves forward, I think that’s an area that will certainly have to be explored. … If the district is interested in pursuing that option again, we certainly need to know the why before we move forward.”

Haysville vote

Haysville residents voted to approve $59 million of projects for the school district.

Unofficial vote totals Tuesday night showed a landslide victory for the bond issue: 79 percent voted yes, and 20 percent voted against the proposal.

“We’re just super-excited that the voters are supportive of the safety and security that the board was looking for,” said Clint Schutte, assistant superintendent of business and finance for Haysville schools. “We’re looking forward to improving our facilities and improving the educational process in Haysville.”

The projects Haysville residents voted to fund Tuesday night include:

▪ A new $16 million school that would house Haysville High, an alternative high school, and the Tri-City Day School, a program for children with special needs from Haysville, Derby and Mulvane

▪ Two Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved storm shelters at Campus High School, for about $4 million

▪ A $5.6 million competition gymnasium and storm shelter at Haysville Middle School

▪ A second gymnasium at Haysville West Middle School, for $4.2 million

▪ A $3.9 million new transportation facility

▪ About $917,000 worth of upgrades to Colt Stadium

▪ Various upgrades throughout the district, including controlled-access entries, windows, parking lots, roofs and bus lanes

▪ An $8.2 million swimming and diving complex that would replace the current pool at Campus High School

The bond requires no increase to the local mill levy. It also does not increase local property taxes.

Because Haysville is among the bottom five school districts in the state in terms of wealth – as measured by assessed valuation per student – the current finance formula requires the state to pay 65 percent of bond and interest costs.

Schutte said he thinks the bond issue passed so overwhelmingly partly because it will not increase local property taxes and also because of Haysville’s “past experience with crisis and tornadoes.”

“Being able to do this without increasing local property taxes is pretty rare,” Schutte said. “We wanted to take advantage of that.”

Schutte said he expects progress to be made on the projects starting this fall. By the end of the month, the Haysville board will have selected a manager for the projects. Then the design and construction phases will commence, he said.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Maize voters OK $70.7 million bond issue, reject swimming pool complex."