Post by wvhsparent on Aug 15, 2006 12:07:56 GMT -6
Oswego board sees need for 13 new schools
By Justina Wang
Staff writer
OSWEGO — The Oswego School District will likely ask voters to approve a $450 million bond referendum within the next year to fund building renovations and the construction of 13 new schools.
On Monday, the School Board unanimously approved Superintendent David Behlow's recommendations for dealing with the district's booming enrollment, which is projected to nearly double to 24,000 in the next five years.
Administrators said they could fund the construction project with no tax rate increase by restructuring the existing debt, capitalizing on growth in property values, and asking state officials to bump the district's debt limit from 18 to 25 percent of its equalized assessed valuation.
"I realize this is a significant amount of money," Behlow said, "(but) this district faces a significant challenge."
A district committee of parents and administrators presented a plan to accommodate expected growth in May and called for larger capacities at existing buildings and construction of eight elementary schools, four junior highs and a high school.
For months, board members debated the recommendations, asking how the proposed changes would affect class sizes and the district feeder system. Several raised concerns when Behlow endorsed the majority of the committee's recommendations but said he wanted to hold off on additions to Oswego High School.
Behlow said he was taking a "conservative approach" because the building will be able to handle the projected number of incoming students during the next five years.
"We should not use extra capacity where we do not need it," Behlow said. "It's not educationally sound and it's not fiscally responsible."
He stopped short of endorsing the committee's proposal to turn Traughber Junior High School into a freshman center for Oswego High School and instead recommended the old building would be better used as a district administration center and alternative school.
The recommendations approved Monday call, too, for the construction of a 600-student capacity early childhood building and renovations for district administrative offices.
"Is it a perfect plan? No," board Vice President John Graff said, "but giving the students facilities to learn, to grow, to become individuals — that's the foundation everything is based on."
08/15/06
By Justina Wang
Staff writer
OSWEGO — The Oswego School District will likely ask voters to approve a $450 million bond referendum within the next year to fund building renovations and the construction of 13 new schools.
On Monday, the School Board unanimously approved Superintendent David Behlow's recommendations for dealing with the district's booming enrollment, which is projected to nearly double to 24,000 in the next five years.
Administrators said they could fund the construction project with no tax rate increase by restructuring the existing debt, capitalizing on growth in property values, and asking state officials to bump the district's debt limit from 18 to 25 percent of its equalized assessed valuation.
"I realize this is a significant amount of money," Behlow said, "(but) this district faces a significant challenge."
A district committee of parents and administrators presented a plan to accommodate expected growth in May and called for larger capacities at existing buildings and construction of eight elementary schools, four junior highs and a high school.
For months, board members debated the recommendations, asking how the proposed changes would affect class sizes and the district feeder system. Several raised concerns when Behlow endorsed the majority of the committee's recommendations but said he wanted to hold off on additions to Oswego High School.
Behlow said he was taking a "conservative approach" because the building will be able to handle the projected number of incoming students during the next five years.
"We should not use extra capacity where we do not need it," Behlow said. "It's not educationally sound and it's not fiscally responsible."
He stopped short of endorsing the committee's proposal to turn Traughber Junior High School into a freshman center for Oswego High School and instead recommended the old building would be better used as a district administration center and alternative school.
The recommendations approved Monday call, too, for the construction of a 600-student capacity early childhood building and renovations for district administrative offices.
"Is it a perfect plan? No," board Vice President John Graff said, "but giving the students facilities to learn, to grow, to become individuals — that's the foundation everything is based on."
08/15/06