What and why of no tax increase bond issue

On Tuesday, the Sun interviewed Supt. Mark Koca about the no tax increase bond issue which will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Q. What is a no tax increase bond issue?

Basically, it’s a fancy way of saying it would extend the current body issue at its current level.

Q. How many years?

It depends on how you look at it. The bonds will be sold on a 20-year basis. Currently we are indebted through 2026. So, it’s going to extend the debt service by 10 years to expire in 2036.

Q. What is our current tax rate?

The debt service levy is 54 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

Q. How much money will it bring in?

I think it is $5.8 million.

Q. What are we going to build with that?

That will get us our top priority which is an elevator.

Q. Which will cost a half million?

We are figuring more like $600,000 now. And that will build a Middle School gymnasium for around $350,000.

Q. Will it also be a cafeteria?

Nope. Below that gymnasium will be classroom space.

We will probably put vocal music down there when just kinda rearrange the building. We will have a couple of locker rooms down there for Middle School and two to four classrooms depending on what we decided to use that space for. Vocal music is definitely the top priority there.

Q. By vocal, you mean High School, Middle School and Elementary?

It will be just High School, Middle School. Elementary has their own space.

Q. Anything else you are going to build?

That will eat the money up faster than you can believe.

Construction costs since we first ran the bond issue have gone up $80 a sq. ft.

Q. What’s it up to now?

They are projecting $230.

They said if we wait another year, they probably would not feel good unless they were projecting $250.

Q. Anything else we ought to tell folks?

Get out and vote this week like your life depends on it because I think it does.