Given the current status of facility funds for the district, what are your short and long term financial solutions:
a) For the High School
b) For other District Facilities
Email: danamites@earthlink.net
Phone: (916) 372-3384
My answer for both of these questions would be, the Board has two jobs, one is to hire the Superintendent and the second is to develop Board policy. As a Board member my job would be to meet with the Superintendent, the Cabinet and other Board members to look at policy and what our options are to address the facility needs as well as our options for financing. Although parts of the District have brand new schools and others have very old schools, the Board needs to ensure that every child has access to the same amenities to enhance their education.
Karl Machschefes
Email: machkarl@sbcglobal.net
Phone: (916) 372-8487
a) For the High School. For our high school we will need an additional bond issue. High inflation in land costs and construction costs have far out stripped the districts ability to pay for the school as originally envisioned. We need to postpone some of the structures, like the Superintendent did, and then get a bond issue to properly finish the school.
b) For other District Facilities. For other district facilities we may be able to use developer (homeowner) fees and state funding to cover most if not all of the expenditures. We can also make this work by using existing sites, such as Gregory Avenue and trading district land in undesirable areas for land more appropriate for schools.
Matt Stegman
Email: matthewcstegman@yahoo.com
Website: www.mattstegman.org
Phone: 916 281-4136
The current board has made the decision on the new high school facility, which is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2008. The board adopted the superintendent’s recommendation to build the high school as planned, minus one classroom building, in order to save approximately $8 million in the short term. If the population of the high school increases, that building can be added in the future. The board also approved the building of the new Stonegate elementary school, which is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2007. As approved, there will be a funding gap of approximately $50 million over the next several years. As such, we will need to find a way to fund the construction of these campuses. I have attended school board meetings, workshops, and community meeting at which the funding problem and potential solutions were discussed. At each, the superintendent has laid out his proposed solution to the shortfall. We do not have a lot of options, and I believe the superintendent has recommended the best option available. The current school board also agrees, and has approved the plan. That plan is to pay to complete the construction of the schools by borrowing the money using certificates of participation (COPs). In about 2010, we would than need to go to the voters to pass a new bond measure. It appears this is our only solution. We cannot cut back on the high school campus. This is our one and only chance to do it right. We have very little flexibility with revenue and expenditures in general and therefore cannot close the gap without use of COPs or the issuance of new bonds. It is unfortunate that construction costs have risen dramatically and put our district in this situation. We will need community support and approval to issue school bonds. With an estimated $50 million shortfall, we have no other choice.
Our district needs to get back on solid financial footing. As our city continues to grow, our need for facilities will too. We need to get our ADA (average daily attendance) funding back by keeping our children in the classroom. Our administration also need to be aggressive in its audits of expenditures. The superintendent, as the district’s CEO, needs to run the district like a business, making sure it is run as efficiently as possible to provide maximum benefits to the students.
Sandra Vargas
Email:
sandravargas1@yahoo.com
Website:
www.votesandra.com
Phone: (916) 617-2990
a) For the High School - Another concern that the district needs to address immediately is the building of our new high school, which has long-been anticipated. I would strive to ensure that our new high school is finished promptly and efficiently and that it maintains its prestigious promise for the benefit of our students and our community, all the while ensuring that the our district remains fiscally sound at all times, in order to avoid any and all negative impacts on our students and teachers.
Without question, our district will need to be very fiscally prudent when handling all current and future operating costs. The original, as well as recent, decisions that have prolonged the construction of the new high school have proven extremely costly. While we need to do everything we can to try to maintain the prestigious promise for the new high school, we do need to build it as quickly as possible.
It is time for less talk and more action; our children and community can’t afford to wait any longer. As a planning commissioner, I know that there is a long process in ensuring that we build something in the most cost-effective way possible, but I also know that people in power can use their influence to get things done properly and at a faster rate. I will use my position and influence to get our high school built in a similar manner.
b) For other District Facilities - The need for us to have to support a future sale of bonds to continue to finance school facilities in our district (like a future elementary or middle school) is a real and valid concern in our community. The key to passing a successful bond measure in any community is instilling the confidence and trust in our community that a bond is not only fully and absolutely necessary, but that those bond monies will be used only for its designated purpose(s).
The more we can demonstrate to our community that our district can efficiently manage our schools and that our schools have what it takes to succeed and are doing the best job possible to provide our students the quality education they deserve for a brighter future, the higher the chances are, of us being able to garner enough support for us to pass another bond in our community.
I will work towards instilling this trust in our community, so long as our needs for a bond are fully justified and only after we have earned the respect and trust in our community by proving that our district has spent, or has a fiscally sound budget plan, to spend all our general and categorical, (or restrictive and non-restrictive) funds in the most successful and cost-effective manner possible.
Email: mort@jps.net,
Phone: (916) 371-1637
a) For the High School - I would like to take a look at current expenditures and attempt to isolate areas of continued need and those that can be cut back or cut out altogether. I would like to look for additional federal, state, and/or local funding to help to achieve our goals, especially related to building the new high school. Grants, donations, partnerships with local businesses and the City of West Sacramento, etc. might be viable options for the district.
b) For other District Facilities - I think the same applies for other district facilities as well. I would like to look at our current district financial resources and for additional federal, state, and/or local funding to help maintain current facilities and/or the building of additional facilities. Again, grants, donations, partnerships with local businesses and the City of West Sacramento, etc. might be viable options for the district but it will very important to look at our current expenditures and resources to determine if cuts or modifications in our budgets will be necessary. At this time, I would not consider the sale of additional bonds until we show the community that we are working effectively to use the funds from the last bond. As a resident of West Sacramento, I feel that the community would be very skeptical of the district and oppose any future bonds until they see some real progress in using the funds that were already passed. In my opinion, progress made on the new high school and improvements made to our current facilities will bring the voters to a higher level of trust for the district and our school system and consequently, a more successful opportunity to pass a bond within our community in the future.