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School bond election Tuesday
By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau
GRANTS — The state's Public education Department has
its eye on the Grants-Cibola County School District.
The district has a bond election on Tuesday to continue $9 million that
has been in place for several years.
Business and Finance Office Director George Perea said in order for the
district to be able to get money from the state, the district has to be
near 100 percent in its bonding capacity which this bond election will
accomplish.
"Since the tax has been in place, and this is just a continuation
of the tax, property taxes will not increase as a result of a positive
vote to approve the general obligation bonds," he said.
State watches outcome of election
"The state watches school districts, and if the district does not
reach or come close to its 100 percent bonding capacity, the state determines
that the district did not do all it could locally to secure local funding
and it might jeopardize state funding."
He said the district would then have to look for more direct appropriations
from the state legislature, and while the legislative representatives
to the House and Senate do what they can, it is not certain the district
would be able to get the funding it needs for the projects that are required
to upgrade schools and buy equipment.
Superintendent Kilino Marquez said, "The $9 million will not be available
immediately. It is a bond that covers four years. The money that would
come in the first year would only be about $2.5 million."
Bonds will help every school
"We have met with the school principals and staff at every school
in the district to target what priorities are needed and how we can spend
the money most efficiently," Marquez said.
The property tax rate is .00326 per $1,000 of assessed value, Perea said.
That means a home worth $100,000 will pay only $30-$40 per year. A home
valued at $50,000 will pay half that amount. That amount is already in
place, and since the district has paid off old bonds, that has freed up
bonding capacity.
"More than anything it would probably slow down the progress we are
making with upgrading school buildings and buying equipment," Perea
said.
"This is really for the benefits of the students."
Money spent well
The bond money is spent on school building upgrades and items such as:
Projects not completed at Grants High school, like the performing arts
center; heating ventilation upgrades at other schools, including replacing
windows that are more energy efficient, stronger doors, insulation, air
conditioning, lighting, electrical wiring and exterior lights for safety
at night.
The money will also be spent on pick up and drop off driving areas at
school, for parents and security issues, Marquez said.
"Equipment like new computers and vehicles are also included in items
the district can use the bond money for," Marquez said.
This is the only item on the ballot Tuesday and polling locations are
open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The question on the ballot:
"Shall the Board of Education of the Grants/Cibola County School
District No. 1, ... be authorized to issue general obligation bonds of
the District in one series or more, in the aggregate principal amount
not exceeding $9,000,000 for the purpose of erecting, remodeling, making
additions to and furnishing school buildings, purchasing or improving
school grounds, purchasing computer software and hardware for student
use in public schools, providing matching funds for capital outlay projects
funded pursuant to the public School Capital Outlay Act or any combination
of these purposes, said bonds to be payable from general (ad volorem)
taxes and to be issued and sold at such time or times upon terms and conditions
as the Board may determine."
— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197, or e-mail:
tiffin.independent@yahoo.com.
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February 6, 2006
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