Posted 2:14 am Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Elkhart Voters Strike Down Third Bond Election
By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer
ELKHART - Voters in the Elkhart Independent School District defeated, for the third time in almost two years, a bond election that would have built a new school for the growing district.
While residents on Tuesday voted down the $12.3 million proposal to build a new high school, they did approve setting the district's maintenance and operations tax rate at 13 cents above the rollback rate as part of another proposition on the ballot.
Complete but unofficial totals showed that 430, or 48.6 percent, voted in favor of the bond election, while 454, or 51.4 percent, voted against it.
In the other proposition, complete but unofficial results showed that 457, or 52.7 percent, voted to set the tax rate at $1.17 per $100 valuation, 13 cents above the rollback rate, while 410, or 47.3 percent, voted against it.
Elkhart ISD Superintendent Dr. Glenn Hambrick said by phone Tuesday night he was "just real disappointed" with the results. The passage of the $1.17 tax rate just means the community will have higher taxes (than the rollback rate) but no school, he said.
"I hate it for the kids," he said. "That's who, of course, needs the space is the kids."
Growth is the main reason for needing a new school and the extra space, Hambrick has said.
In 1999, the district saw an enrollment of 1,067 students. This year, Elkhart ISD saw an enrollment of 1,350 students, according to district information. There were 70 more students at the start of this school year than last school year, he has said.
Hambrick has said the district has had to line up portables to accommodate the numbers.
Hambrick said Tuesday night after the results were in that he does not have a "plan B."
"We don't even have space to put more portable buildings," he said. "I'd like those 454 people to come show me where we ought to put our kids ... It's very disappointing there are that many people in our community who feel the way they do."
Had the bond election passed as well, the tax rate for 2007 would have been $1.17 per $100 valuation and then in 2008 would have been $1.27, which would have included a 10-cent Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate.
The extra 13 cents on the maintenance and operations tax rate, had the bond passed and the $1.17 rate passed, would have helped pay the bonds and keep the total tax rate lower than if the bond were to have passed by itself, the superintendent has said.
With the outcome of Tuesday's vote, Elkhart ISD will still get the extra 13 pennies on the tax rate.
"It will give us a little extra money," Hambrick said. "But it's not going to give us enough to build a school. You have to sell long-term bonds in order to have the money you need to build a school with."
The first attempt at a bond election in Elkhart ISD was with a $9.4 million bond issue in December 2005, and the second was with a $7.3 million bond issue defeated in May 2006. Both those attempts would have paid to build an elementary school and make renovations to other buildings.
A subsequent survey of taxpayers in the district indicated they preferred a high school over an elementary, Hambrick has said.
The superintendent said prior to the election that, unlike the past bond elections, this time the district could have seen a lower tax rate than in years past and still construct a new school.
Changes in the state's school finance system meant the tax rate would have been lower than in the last several years, even if the bond election had passed.
Hambrick had said earlier, "That may never happen again."
Plans called for the new high school to be built on 57 acres the district purchased a couple of years ago north of town, on U.S. Highway 287 toward Palestine. According to preliminary plans, the building would have been about 95,000 square feet with 35 classrooms, four science labs, cafetorium, two computer labs, library and gymnasium.
Staff Writer
ELKHART - Voters in the Elkhart Independent School District defeated, for the third time in almost two years, a bond election that would have built a new school for the growing district.
While residents on Tuesday voted down the $12.3 million proposal to build a new high school, they did approve setting the district's maintenance and operations tax rate at 13 cents above the rollback rate as part of another proposition on the ballot.
Complete but unofficial totals showed that 430, or 48.6 percent, voted in favor of the bond election, while 454, or 51.4 percent, voted against it.
In the other proposition, complete but unofficial results showed that 457, or 52.7 percent, voted to set the tax rate at $1.17 per $100 valuation, 13 cents above the rollback rate, while 410, or 47.3 percent, voted against it.
Elkhart ISD Superintendent Dr. Glenn Hambrick said by phone Tuesday night he was "just real disappointed" with the results. The passage of the $1.17 tax rate just means the community will have higher taxes (than the rollback rate) but no school, he said.
"I hate it for the kids," he said. "That's who, of course, needs the space is the kids."
Growth is the main reason for needing a new school and the extra space, Hambrick has said.
In 1999, the district saw an enrollment of 1,067 students. This year, Elkhart ISD saw an enrollment of 1,350 students, according to district information. There were 70 more students at the start of this school year than last school year, he has said.
Hambrick has said the district has had to line up portables to accommodate the numbers.
Hambrick said Tuesday night after the results were in that he does not have a "plan B."
"We don't even have space to put more portable buildings," he said. "I'd like those 454 people to come show me where we ought to put our kids ... It's very disappointing there are that many people in our community who feel the way they do."
Had the bond election passed as well, the tax rate for 2007 would have been $1.17 per $100 valuation and then in 2008 would have been $1.27, which would have included a 10-cent Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate.
The extra 13 cents on the maintenance and operations tax rate, had the bond passed and the $1.17 rate passed, would have helped pay the bonds and keep the total tax rate lower than if the bond were to have passed by itself, the superintendent has said.
With the outcome of Tuesday's vote, Elkhart ISD will still get the extra 13 pennies on the tax rate.
"It will give us a little extra money," Hambrick said. "But it's not going to give us enough to build a school. You have to sell long-term bonds in order to have the money you need to build a school with."
The first attempt at a bond election in Elkhart ISD was with a $9.4 million bond issue in December 2005, and the second was with a $7.3 million bond issue defeated in May 2006. Both those attempts would have paid to build an elementary school and make renovations to other buildings.
A subsequent survey of taxpayers in the district indicated they preferred a high school over an elementary, Hambrick has said.
The superintendent said prior to the election that, unlike the past bond elections, this time the district could have seen a lower tax rate than in years past and still construct a new school.
Changes in the state's school finance system meant the tax rate would have been lower than in the last several years, even if the bond election had passed.
Hambrick had said earlier, "That may never happen again."
Plans called for the new high school to be built on 57 acres the district purchased a couple of years ago north of town, on U.S. Highway 287 toward Palestine. According to preliminary plans, the building would have been about 95,000 square feet with 35 classrooms, four science labs, cafetorium, two computer labs, library and gymnasium.
