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Referendum 2008
Plan, Build, Maintain
Vote April 26, 2008
On any given day, 12 percent of students in Beaufort County Schools aren't in school
– they are inside mobile classrooms, apart from the main building, away from the
computer labs and media center, separated from the gym and cafeteria. While the
school district has worked hard to outfit the mobile classrooms, let's face it,
they still are single- and double-wide trailers with desks.
On any given day, students are frustrated because their classroom doesn't have enough
up-to-date computers, or enough connections to the Internet, or any new cool stuff
that helps hook them to lifelong learning.
But, on any given day, almost 20,000 students in Beaufort County Schools are doing
their best to succeed. They strive to excel. They seek a brighter future. They depend
on many to help shape their learning and provide the essentials.
For more than a decade, Beaufort County has been among the fastest growing counties
in South Carolina. Much of that growth can be seen in rapidly rising enrollments
in our schools, especially those in Bluffton. For example, Bluffton Elementary was
built in 1999 for 550 children but has twice that many attending now – many of them
in trailers parked outside the main building.
On April 26, 2008, Beaufort County voters will have a chance to shape the future.
That's the day voters will decide a $162.7 million school bond referendum. That
referendum is a major part of a comprehensive five-year capital improvement plan
developed by the school district and planning experts. It took a year to research
this plan, and that included having each principal examine the project list to eliminate
anything that wasn't absolutely necessary for success in the next five years. They
trimmed $16+ million – a true sign of accountability.
What will this referendum cost the typical homeowner? Bottom line: Passing this referendum
will, initially, add $16 per year to the debt service tax bill of an owner-occupied
home valued at $200,000 in Beaufort County. That's about the cost of one take-out
pizza.
In two years, because of the way the school system's long-term financial plan is
designed, this referendum will cost that same resident homeowner $24 annually, and
that's the peak. The entire five-year capital improvement plan, including the referendum
projects and upgrades paid from other sources, will add about $44 annually to the
debt taxes for that same resident owner of a $200,000 home. That's less than a dollar
a week.
What will this mean for learning and teaching in Beaufort County Schools?
- It means all children will have equal opportunity for learning, with adequate and
appropriate technology and other teaching tools.
- It means taxpayers will have made a wise investment by acquiring land now for future
school sites – but bought before prices escalate further.
- It means that, for $16 more annually on a $200,000 owner-occupied home, all schools
will be renovated and modified, with the flexibility to expand technology as needed
for the coming decade.
- It means teachers can use more and better technology to instruct, and students can
benefit by being better prepared for the worldwide society and global economy –
and for living right here in Beaufort County.
- It means that, together, we can transform learning for this generation and the next.
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What Will Referendum '08 Do?
- Transform learning: Providing technology access in all schools and moving children
out of mobile classrooms, coupled with existing programs to strengthen teaching
and curriculum, help children learn.
- Good Value: This $162,735,000 building program will cost a county resident $16 a
year more on a $200,000 home in Beaufort County. Even with that, residents' property
tax bills will be substantially lower than in years past. All projects are directed
to health/safety and/or improved student achievement.
- Good investment: The project list includes buying land at today's prices, potentially
saving taxpayers millions of dollars in coming years, and building at current prices
– construction costs have skyrocketed the past five years. This referendum will
provide funds to perform needed upgrades to all existing schools in the district,
such as repairing all school roofs.
- Accountability: The project list includes just the items cited by principals as
essential to move students forward. More than a year of study by the school district
and outside experts, with three months of review by the School Board, created the
Referendum '08 plan. Items not critical to the mission of raising student achievement
were removed, revised or postponed. Community engagement included:
- Six community Town Hall meetings were held across Beaufort County in November to
share information about the five-year capital improvement plan and to seek public
input to the plan
- The independent Capital Improvements Advisory Committee, made up of construction,
engineering, technology and finance experts from across the county, provided input
- The referendum ballot includes two new schools and two new early childhood centers
to address overcrowding in Bluffton, renovations to update outdated schools, technology
infrastructure to help students learn in all schools, and land for the future.
- Both the elected School Board and the citizens' Capital Improvements Advisory Committee
will provide accountability for projects.
- Benefits
- Build:
2 new elementary schools in Bluffton area
2 early childhood centers for existing Bluffton schools
650-seat Beaufort High auditorium for the Beaufort Cluster
Battery Creek High wrestling building
Numerous remodels to P.E. rooms and others
- Land for future savings
- Sites for three Bluffton-area schools and one on Lady's Island
- Renovations at all schools
- Technology upgrades at all schools.
All Beaufort County students, staff and community will benefit from these much-needed
improvements.
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What's Included?
This is a summary of highlights, not listed by priority. For line-item descriptions
visit www.beaufort.k12.sc.us.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
- Bluffton-area elementary 1 (approx. $22.4 million, target opening in 2010)
- Bluffton-area elementary 2 (approx. $25.5 million, target opening 2012)
- Early Learning Centers at M.C. Riley and Bluffton elementary schools (approx. $10.1
million each)
LAND PURCHASE TO PREPARE FOR
- New Bluffton-area elementary 2 (approx. $5.9 million)
- New Bluffton-area middle school (future, approx. $14.8 million)
- New Lady's Island elementary (future, approx. $1.9 million)
- New Bluffton high school (future, approx. $20.7 million)
ADDITIONS AND UPGRADES
- Beaufort Cluster 650-seat auditorium at Beaufort High (approx. $9.7 million)
- Broad River Elementary, PE building (approx. $2 million)
- Mossy Oaks Elementary, replace PE building and add classrooms (approx. $2.5 million)
- McCracken Middle, upgrade band and drama room (approx. $372,500)
- Battery Creek High wrestling facility (approx. $888,000)
BATTERY CREEK CLUSTER SCHOOLS:
$14.9 MILLION
Sample projects:
- Battery Creek High
- Roof replacement
- HVAC improvements
- Interior finishes
- Broad River Elementary
- Partial roof replacement
- New school entry
- One new computer lab
- James J. Davis Elementary
- Partial roof replacement
- Restroom renovations
- Electrical upgrades
- Joseph S. Shanklin Elementary
- New school entry
- Cafeteria renovations
- HVAC replacement
- Robert Smalls Middle
- Partial roof replacement
- Window replacement
- Shell Point Elementary
- New visitors parking lot
- Re-organized pick-up/drop-off traffic circulation
- New school entry
- Partial roof replacement
- Whale Branch Elementary
- Whale Branch Middle
BEAUFORT CLUSTER SCHOOLS:
$10.5 MILLION
Sample projects:
- Beaufort Elementary
- Beaufort Middle
- Band room renovations
- Redesign traffic circulation at main entry
- Beaufort High
- Coosa Elementary
- 2 new computer labs
- Additional parking lot
- Redesign of pick-up/drop-off circulation
- Lady's Island Elementary
- Partial roof replacement
- Restroom improvements
- Additional parking lot
- Lady's Island Middle
- Roof replacement
- Technology upgrades
- Mossy Oaks Elementary
- Partial roof replacement
- Technology upgrades
- Port Royal Elementary
- New second-floor restroom
- Technology upgrades
- St. Helena Early Learning Center
- New HVAC energy recovery system
- St. Helena Elementary
- HVAC replacement
- Renovate gym
- New ballfields, outdoor basketball courts
- Partial roof replacement
BLUFFTON CLUSTER SCHOOLS:
$3.8 MILLION
Sample projects:
- Bluffton Elementary
- Design and construction of improved pick-up/drop-off circulation
- Bluffton High
- Renovate entry and new finishes for theater
- New supply room for ROTC
- McCracken Middle
- Design and construction of improved pick-up/drop-off circulation
- Partial roof replacement
- Michael C. Riley Elementary
- 2 new computer labs
- HVAC replacement
- Upgrade electric service
- Okatie Elementary
HILTON HEAD ISLAND SCHOOLS:
$6.6 MILLION
Sample projects:
- Daufuskie Elementary
- Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center
- International Baccalaureate Elementary (Red building)
- Site drainage improvements
- Roof repairs
- Update restrooms
- International Baccalaureate Elementary (Yellow building)
- Site drainage improvements
- Update restrooms
- Elementary School for Creative Arts (Blue building)
- Site drainage improvements
- Roof repairs
- Update restrooms
- Hilton Head Island Middle
- New computer lab
- HVAC replacement
- Redesign pick-up/drop-off circulation
- Restroom renovations
- Replace gym bleachers
- Hilton Head Island High
- Site drainage improvements
- Repair parking lots
- Renovate kitchen, cafeteria and science labs
- Upgrade electrical service
IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW ON ENTIRE HILTON HEAD ISLAND CAMPUS.
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How Were The Projects Selected?
For more than a year, the school district worked with a nationally-recognized school
planning firm called Associated Planning & Research. This team visited each school,
examined attendance areas and growth patterns, worked with many others to gather
and study data, and created a Five Year Facilities Plan.
From that document, the Board of Education and School District hired Heery International,
Inc. to help refine the cost estimates and examine critical components such as roofs
and heating/air conditioning systems for life-cycle replacement. This revised plan
was shared with the community in six Town Hall meetings in November and with the
citizens' Capital Improvements Advisory Committee.
Finally, principals from every school pored over the project list with a sharp pencil
– and eliminated $16+ million they felt wasn't absolutely necessary for their success
in the next five years.
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News Releases
Referendum Details and Overview - Available Here!
March 18, 2008 - If the overview provided here and under the Frequently Asked Question
(FAQ) section doesn't provide enough detail, try visiting the Documents section.
This tab is basically a library of reports used by the Beaufort County Board of Education
and Superintendent Valerie Truesdale's administration to create the project package
coming before voters on April 26.
The $162.7 million school bond referendum includes construction of two new elementary
schools in Bluffton, construction of two new early learning centers for pre-kindergarten
and kindergarten students at M.C. Riley and Bluffton elementary schools, purchase
of land for future school needs, improvements to the technology wiring and cabling
in all schools, and major renovations/modifications/upgrades to most schools.
It took more than a year of work by the Board of Education, administration and several
outside experts to create this recommended plan. That included a line-by-line examination
of the final plan by each school principal – resulting in more than $16 million
being eliminated. Principals said those removed items represented necessary and
needed improvements, but they weren't immediately critical.
The Capital Improvement Plan shows this school by school listing of projects, and
also indicates whether the project is to be paid by referendum money or the School
Board's capital renewal fund, also known as 8 percent funds.
School Board Approves Referendum Projects, Sets Election Date
January 15, 2008 - The Beaufort County Board of Education endorsed a $162.7 million
package of needed new construction, renovations, land purchases and technology infrastructure
at its Jan. 15 meeting.
The referendum is scheduled for Saturday, April 26. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m. across Beaufort County.
"More than a year of work has gone into creating this plan, and it has been chiseled
down to just the essentials," School Board Chairman Fred Washington Jr. said. "The
school principals went over the project list with sharpened pencils and crossed
out more than $16 million in work that they said wasn't absolutely necessary in
the short term to improve student achievement. That came after several other sessions
by the administration and school board to review costs and projects."
"This referendum is about changing the way children learn, improving academic outcomes,
and helping our teachers teach better," Washington said. "We have layers of accountability
built into the system, including a citizens-based Capital Improvements Advisory
Committee that looks at all our referendum projects as well as all other capital
projects. As this referendum moves forward, we're also moving forward with work
to improve our academics."
For more information about the referendum including Frequently Asked Questions, click here. For a
summary of projects to be funded by the referendum, click here. For a line-item listing by school, click
here.
Documents
Referendum Documents
Facilities Planning Reports
Frequently Asked Questions
Beaufort County School District understands that citizens will have questions about
the upcoming referendum. Below you will find answers to questions posed by other
citizens.
Click here to ask your own questions
February 28, 2008
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Q:
How does classroom technology improve teaching and learning?
A:
Today’s world is linked by technology. Children grow up surrounded by technology that wasn’t dreamed of when they were born. Using technology is as much a part of students’ lives as blackboards and chalk were to another generation. Use of computers, the Internet, digital cameras and multiple software options are commonplace to today’s learners. Teachers can access real-time information on world developments or discoveries, rather than depending on hopelessly outdated hardbound encyclopedias. Technology provides hands-on tools for learning, and students respond with great enthusiasm. More student engagement equals more student learning.
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When will academic improvement take precedence over buildings, roofs and sports facilities?
A:
Academic improvement is at the heart of the work proposed in the April 26 referendum. About half of the Capital Improvement Plan (which includes 8% projects and referendum projects) addresses renovations and maintenance needs, particularly roof replacement and repairs. It is challenging for a child to learn in a room with a leaky roof. It is less than desirable for half a school’s population to be housed in portable classrooms. There is a wrestling room provided in the plan for Battery Creek High and physical education multi-purpose rooms for fitness at two elementary schools but there are few other major projects that are athletics in nature.
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Why aren’t attendance zones established to better utilize under-capacity schools?
A:
Conversations about this subject have been the topic across Beaufort in February as Superintendent Valerie Truesdale met with school staffs and parents. Making better use of underutilized schools is a priority – but so is maintaining community connections to schools. The quality of teaching directly impacts student success, but parental and community involvement also weigh heavily on that formula. We must be mindful of this, and the efficient use of tax dollars, as we examine changes in attendance areas. For instance, it is possible to bus students from crowded Bluffton elementary schools to the less-crowded Broad River Elementary and Whale Branch Elementary. But, the question begs, is that added time on the bus the best thing for the student?
Additionally, the series of Community Conversations in Beaufort have surfaced other ideas to make best use of our buildings, including creating magnet schools or reconfiguring schools’ grades.
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How will building more schools and buying land increase test scores and improve learning?
A:
Building more schools in fast-growing Bluffton will alleviate classroom crowding that has some courses at Bluffton High with more than 35 students. That same crowding has more than half the students at Bluffton Elementary attending class in outdoor portable units, apart from the media center, computer labs and cafeteria. This crowding creates school management issues, decreases the sense of community and safety that children need to flourish academically, and increases behavior problems.
Buying land at today’s prices is a good business decision. We expect to pay upwards of $20 million for the 70 acres we’ll need for another high school in Bluffton. In 2000, we built the entire McCracken Middle School for less than that. Saving tax dollars by good land investments can free up future dollars for other student-achievement needs.
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What is the Board of Education’s plan if the referendum doesn’t pass?
A:
If the April 26 referendum doesn’t pass, there are a couple of obvious options.
•Regroup and try another referendum in coming months
•Postpone another referendum and add more portable classrooms to the 70+ portables in the Bluffton-area schools, watch as land and construction prices continue to escalate, and make do the best we can.
Maintenance challenges loom large in Beaufort County for we have not kept pace with needed repairs. From experience we know that families don’t stop moving to the Lowcountry even though thirty mobile classrooms are parked behind a school. While other school districts in the state and nation help their students succeed by teaching them how to access a world of information through technology, our students won’t have that same advantages. This referendum will ensure our students are prepared for the 21st century with technology and our investment in school buildings is protected.
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Q:
How much will this referendum cost the typical homeowner in Beaufort County?
A:
When approved, this referendum will add up to an additional $16 initially to the debt service tax bill for the resident owner of a home valued at $200,000. At the peak of construction, the referendum cost will climb to $24 more annually on that same owner-occupied home. Keep in mind that, because the state shifted school operations taxes from homes to sales tax in 2008, resident homeowners saw tax bills drop by several hundred or more dollars recently.
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Why is so much money needed for renovations?
A:
The oldest school in Beaufort County, Port Royal Elementary, is nearing its 100th birthday. Many other schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by the “newer” schools built between 1995 and 2004. Two other schools, Whale Branch High and Red Cedar Elementary, will have their groundbreakings in early March as construction starts on those projects – to be followed soon with groundbreaking for Bluffton Middle.
As schools age, and as schools swell to accommodate crowded conditions, the need for major renovations increases. The renovations included in the Referendum ’08 program address health and safety issues (such as security systems) that we have not kept up with adequately in recent years Total renovations and maintenance account for $135 million of the $262 million total Capital Improvement Plan.
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Q:
How much is allocated for land and new schools?
A:
The referendum includes $43.2 million to buy land for future schools and $68 million to build new schools in Bluffton area. If the land price is less than $43.2 million, those bonds will not be issued; funds will not be diverted to other projects.
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What’s included in the referendum?
A:
•$68.1 million for two new elementary schools in Bluffton and two new early childhood centers in Bluffton
•$43.3 million for four land parcels, three in Bluffton and one on Lady’s Island
•$15.5 million for additions and modifications at five schools
•$14.9 million for renovations and improvements for schools in the Battery Creek Cluster
•$10.5 million for renovations and improvements for schools in the Beaufort Cluster
•$3.8 million for renovations and improvements for schools in the Bluffton Cluster
•$6.6 million for renovations and improvements for schools in the Hilton Head Island Cluster.
More details are available in a special Referendum 2008 section of the school district’s website (www.beaufort.k12.sc.us), along with other frequently asked questions. Questions can be called in to 843.322.2333.
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Q:
What about oversight of the referendum projects?
A:
Not only will the Beaufort County Board of Education have direct oversight and accountability of the referendum work, but a countywide panel of experts also will watch the program. The Capital Improvements Advisory Committee, comprised of leaders in construction, technology, contracts and procurement, will provide oversight and report regularly to the community via the newspapers.
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Q:
What are prototype schools and how will they make a difference?
A:
Prototype schools are basic designs that can be adjusted to fit on a particular piece of land without completely redesigning the school. This saves time and this saves up to six percent of the school’s cost, benefitting students and the taxpayers. Prototype designs currently are underway for the next elementary school and early childhood centers in Bluffton so that, when the referendum passes, the architectural and engineering work will be jumpstarted.
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General
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Q:
Why is a bond referendum needed?
A:
Construction and major repairs/renovations aren’t financed through the school district’s general operating funds. Instead, they are paid through long-term bonds that spread the cost over the years the facilities will be used – much like a home mortgage. Upgrades to the Beaufort County School District’s bond ratings (to among the highest in the state) will save taxpayers millions of dollars in coming years because the district will qualify to pay lower interest.
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Q:
What will it cost the typical homeowner?
A:
The $162.7 million referendum will add $16 to the debt service tax bill for an owner-occupied Beaufort County home valued at $200,000 initially, and about $24 annually at its peak. For a home valued at $400,000, just double those numbers for a good estimate.
The comprehensive five-year capital improvement plan, including referendum projects and work paid from other sources such as 8% funds, will cost about $44 more annually on that same owner-occupied $200,000 home – or about 85 cents a week.
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Q:
Once passed, when will the construction begin on the first projects?
A:
In late fall 2007, the Beaufort County Board of Education hired architects to begin design work on prototype elementary schools and early childhood centers. These are designs that will serve as the template for future schools, with only minor adjustments based on the lay of the land. This move alone will save six months or more. Some of the renovation work will begin even sooner. All work is being built into a project timeline based on the scope of construction, available workforce, impact on students and how it ties in to other related projects at that school or with other nearby schools.
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Q:
How will we know the money is being spent wisely and as intended?
A:
Independent oversight is provided by the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee, chaired by Mr. Bernie Kole and comprised of experts in construction, engineering, technology and finance from all corners of Beaufort County. This group meets regularly to review the school district’s planning efforts, blueprints, contracts and costs. They make quarterly reports to the citizenry via local newspapers.
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Q:
How will the school district update and adjust the Capital Improvements Plan to reflect changes in the local economy, housing market, enrollments, etc.?
A:
The District has established an in-house planning group that will regularly review enrollments and growth trends for the area. Adjustments to the long-range capital plan will be reviewed by the administration and presented to the Board of Education for consideration.
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Q:
The list of projects includes classroom improvements for technology. What does that mean?
A:
The technology projects listed will enable students in all schools to use the latest technology. This work will upgrade all schools to the technology level of the newest schools. By using this technology, students can access distance learning and partner with students in other lands for new learning. While technology is constantly changing, current standards call for networked computers and interactive whiteboards in most classrooms.
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Q:
Will attendance areas be changed as part of the overall plan?
A:
As new schools are completed, revisions to the attendance zones will be required to populate the new classrooms and eliminate overcrowding in existing schools. These changes will occur only after appropriate public conversation.
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Q:
Making schools more environmentally friendly may cost more upfront, but it can save money in operating costs. What is the district doing about “green design”?
A:
The District’s new Design Guidelines incorporate energy efficiency into all future facilities. Where it is justified based on life-cycle cost and available funding, “green” technology will be a part of future construction.
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Q:
Who uses our schools?
A:
Students, residents, community groups and local governments use Beaufort County Schools. Facilities, including athletic areas, are available to the public after school hours for groups such as Cub Scouts, YMCA programs and many others. This year almost 20,000 students are enrolled in 28 schools across the county – up 25 percent from a decade ago. This year there are 145 mobile classrooms in use.
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Q:
What will it cost to run these new schools when they open to students?
A:
When the new schools open, there will be increased operating costs of about $1 million annually per elementary, $1.5 million annually per middle school, and $1.8 million annually per high school. These costs estimates are inflated to 2009 values for elementary and middle schools and 2011 values when Whale Branch High is anticipated to open. These costs are estimated for utility, maintenance and school support salaries such as the principal. These operating costs don’t include teachers or staff allocated on enrollment. Under South Carolina’s education funding formula, those operating costs are paid largely by sales tax, commercial property owners and non-resident home/landowners.
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