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New High School Bond Election -- September 18, 2008
Question: 1 - How will passing of this bond affect my school property taxes?
Answer: - It will not increase your school tax rate.
Our School Board has been proactive on the behalf of the taxpayers, which will allow us to maintain a $4.45 School District tax rate (2006 & 2007) per $1,000 of property value, as explained in this paragraph. The high school bond proposal will pay for the design, construction labor, materials, permits, fees, equipment and all other necessary project costs. In order to generate this amount of capital (money) without raising the school tax rate, the $51.9 million bond will amortize (pay back) over 20 years or less, which in today’s bond market will ensure a very competitive interest rate. The new bonds will be structured around the District’s existing bond and will not increase the school tax rate. This non-increase in the school tax rate is due to: The retirement of an existing bond, refunding of existing bonds, increased market value, approximately $17.4 million of state subsidy payments (financial support -- which we will receive from the Idaho School Bond Levy Equalization Program), defeasance of existing bond funds, along with the use of available debt revenue. If the bond were not to pass, the School Board plans to maintain the current $4.45 School District tax rate per $1,000 of property value to allow for earlier payoff of our current bonds. Your property taxes could increase as a result of a reassessment of your property, but not due to an increase in the District’s tax rate.
Question: 2 - Why was this particular location chosen?
Answer: - Safety of the students.
The location for the new high school (on the southeast corner of Emmett and Willis Roads) was selected primarily for the safety of our high school students. By locating the high school out of town, we will be able to close the campus and lessen the downtown traffic for vehicles and pedestrians. The City and School District will both benefit from the change in location of our high school. The School Board members considered several sites and found this one to be the best location for the high school as it allows ample space for the 60-acre campus and adequate access (six vehicular entries and exits) for traffic at the high school site. Ensuring the best use of taxpayer dollars for this purchase was also a consideration of the School Board. The cost of this site was well below other sites that were reviewed.
Question: 3 - Is the square footage of the new high school too large?
Answer: - No it is not.
At 86% utilization the capacity of the proposed new high school is 1,500 students and at 100% utilization the capacity is 1,700 students. Student enrollment has been projected through the school year 2017 –2018 based on historical data and projected growth. Utilizing this information, we believe the capacity of 1,500 students will allow ample space for enrollment growth and give us at least a ten-year solution for ample classroom space.
Question: 4 - Why are we converting the current rebuilt high school to a middle school?
Answer: - To avoid overcrowding at all secondary grade levels.
The rebuilt High School facility is too small to hold the amount of high school students we currently have enrolled. It will adequately house 725 students and we have over 850 students this year. By utilizing the three buildings (rebuilt high school, high school English wing and the current Middle School) the 6-8 grade students will have adequate educational facilities. The School District has a ten-year facility plan in place that is based on enrollment growth projections at all grade levels, full utilization of our current facilities and projections for the need of additional facilities. Our ten-year plan indicates that the opening of this new high school and the conversion of the current high school to a middle school will provide ample classroom space (utilizing all buildings) for our secondary students (grades 6-12) through the year 2020-21.
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 Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Richard H. Bauscher
The Middleton School Board members recently approved the refinancing of our District’s 2002 Series Bond, at a lower interest rate. The refinancing of these bonds provides an immediate savings of $169,000 to our patrons and a future tax savings of approximately $1.57 million.
This bond refinance will increase our School District’s available bonding capacity, enabling us to run a bond election for the new High School on September 18, 2008. With the passage of this new high school bond issue, taxpayers will not experience an increase in their school tax rate due to this refinancing, increased market value and a bond defeasance.
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Rebuild of the Middle/High School (4-01-08)
 Construction of the rebuild of our current Middleton High/Middle School is well underway and on schedule. This portion of the High School is set to reopen for the fall of 2008-09.
The High School will open with seventeen (17) teaching stations, reducing two classrooms from the portion that burned, which allowed us to utilize these funds to increase the size of the: library, music room, band room and upgrades throughout the building.
We project that with our enrollment growth we will need four additional High School classrooms for the 2008-09 school year. Therefore, we will continue to utilize the portables, as overflow classrooms, for both the Middle and High Schools.
(Please see the rebuild Middle/High School floor plan and additional photos by clicking on the link on the sidebar.)
Future High School (10-2-07)
The District’s history of student enrollment growth is utilized to project future student enrollment growth at all grade levels. This enrollment growth data confirms our need for a new High School -- as soon as possible. If patrons were to approve a bond issue during the fall of 2008, the new High School would not be ready for occupancy until the fall of 2011. The construction of a new High School (on the southeast corner of Willis and Emmett Roads) would provide the District with room for growth at all grade levels, until two new elementary schools can be built.
The School Board members have determined that once the High School students are relocated into the new High School, the current High School will become the Middle School. The capacity of all existing buildings (on this campus)will hold 1,500 Middle School students – however, we do not want to exceed 1,200 Middle School students at this 6-8 grade level. The current Middle School building can then be utilized for overflow classes for Middle School students and as our elementary population grows, 5th grade students could be temporarily relocated to the current Middle School, until the two new elementary schools are built.
The School Board members and District Administration have begun the process that will result in the High School bond issue being brought before the patrons for a vote. The first step in this process was to locate a 60-acre site for this new High School. The District purchased this property located on the southeast corner of Willis and Emmett Roads at a great price of $10,000 an acre. The next step in the process was to have a conceptual site plan of the school drawn up (a link to this site plan is located on the side bar). With these two tasks being accomplished, the District then had to wait for the bonding capacity to build up to cover the projected construction costs for the new High School. Due to the bond refinance, bond defeasance and increased market value, the District will have the necessary bonding capacity by the fall of 2008.
New High School Bond Issue and Proposed Construction Timelines (10-02-07)
The School Board members have approved a timeline that will provide guidance to the District as we move forward. The District will be seeking patrons who are interested in taking an active role in the Patron Bond Committee. Watch our December/January newsletter for a sign up form, if you desire to become a part of this committee.
Please click on the sidebar link to view the bond issue-new high school proposed timelines.
MSD 134 10-Year Facilities Plans
 Middleton School District has again been singled out for its proactive, forwarding thinking efforts. The State of Idaho passed HB 473 (School Facilities and Maintenance Fund) during the last legislative session. The School Facilities Maintenance Fund requires School Districts to set aside 2% (annually) of their replacement value of school buildings in a separate fund and requires each District to have a ten-year plan on file with the State Department of Education. Middleton School District is currently the only District in Idaho that has completed this State required ten-year facility plan.
The State Department of Education requested a copy of our Ten-Year Facility Plan for placement on their website, as an example for other Idaho Districts. The website address for viewing our Ten-Year Plan in its entirety is as follows: http://www.sde.idaho.gov/dept/documents/facilities. This plan may also be review through our link on the right side bar.
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| Calendar |
5/13 Regular School Board Meeting 5/14 Staff Collaboration (Early Dismissal)5/21 Staff Collaboration (Early Dismissal)
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