Referendum 5 at 5: my most frequent FAQs

I wanted a catchy title...it's almost 5:00...so here you go.

I feel the need to review some of the things I've already written (or spoken a hundred times). The questions and misinformation are swirling...I wish I could have a one-on-one conversation with everyone, because whenever I do that, we both benefit. But in the meantime, here are the questions I keep hearing -- and some bullet point answers. (Technically these were my notes for the RHS HSA meeting the other night):

1) Why now? The economy is too bad.
* The needs of the buildings are not going away, they will only get worse/more expensive.
* Now we can take advantage of $12 million in state aid, reducing the cost to the taxpayer. State aid will not be available if referendum is defeated. There is a limited "pot" of money, and other districts are in line right behind us. On December 9, if our referendum has failed, that money will be scooped up.
* Construction costs are currently lower than they've been in years (we save $$)
* Interest rates are lower than they've been in years -- if we need to borrow, now is the time -- we'll save $$ in long run
* Energy savings will help our operating budget, year after year

2) It's too much; there are too many luxuries
* We worked for two years to identify the projects; worked with every principal. Many many more projects did not make the list.
* List contains nothing luxurious or purely aesthetic. No finishes. Everything is infrastructure, health & safety, expansion/crowding/efficient use of space

3) Why not re-open Glen?
* Re-opening Glen would not save money and would not address the needs of the district as a whole. We would still need roofs at RHS, Somerville, Travell & Willard, RHS would still have all its renovation needs, GW would still be crowded, electrical needs would remain at Ridge, etc.
* Glen has 15 classrooms. 5 are currently used by preschool disabled classes. They would have to move somewhere in the district, or else add classrooms on to Glen
* Glen would require work to be brought up to current code. There is no library or cafeteria, so those would need to be added.
* Glen does not have a principal, nurse, librarian, secretary -- adding them (along with teachers needed to staff classrooms) would add to our operating budget every year. My back-of-napkin estimate is as much as $1,000,000 per year added to our budget. Since we're still capped by the state, that money will come from existing programs.

4) How did this happen? Is it mismanagement?
* We spend about $2 million every year on capital projects & maintenance. That's more than the state requires. With 11 buildings, $2 million will never allow us to do major projects like roofs at all of them. (Old home analogy: your home's new roof is financed by home improvement loan, not your weekly paycheck)
* Our budget is capped, so even if we wanted to spend more on annual capital projects, the money would have to come from somewhere else.

5) Why the luxury of turf fields, and why in a flood plain?
* Not a luxury; RHS does not have adequate outdoor teaching facilities, according to state
* Need to protect all our field assets -- turf & re-sizing will allow RHS and Stevens to be used more, lessening wear & tear on our grass fields
* Turf field engineering will actually enhance drainage and reduce flooding.
* Turf & re-sizing will allow RHS and Stephens fields to be used by more RHS students (boys & girls) and more community youth
* Regulation track will give our championship track & field athletes a facility that matches their accomplishments and caliber; host RHS meets; maintain grass infield at BF
* The fields are in the referendum (and not a 2nd question) because we feel they are important. Statistically, 2nd questions fail. Relegating the fields to a 2nd question would have killed those project.

So that's some of what I said Tuesday night at RHS. I'd like to add: I'm a taxpayer. I was laid off last year and remain "underemployed." My husband was laid off for part of this year and recently started a new job. I am not thrilled that my taxes will go up. I understand the struggle. But with the hundreds of hours I've spent working on this, and the hundreds of questions I've asked, I honestly believe this referendum is the right thing for this community and for our schools.

Please get the facts. Then vote however your heart and your circumstances dictate. If you hear a rumor or some wild claims, please just ask. I will answer if I can, or I'll tell you where to find the answer if I can't.