A $7.4 million bond authorization is on the Tuesday, November 3, ballot  which would allow the Douglas Unified School District to sell bonds for school district construction and remodeling.

The second part of the ballot would allow the district to sell 15th Street School to Chiricahua Community Health Centers for a new Pediatric Center for Excellence

$7.4 million bond issue

An official statement from the district on the election says: “The Douglas Unified School District must ensure that our buildings and facilities are safe and well maintained, and foster the nurturing educational environment we strive to maintain.  Achieving this goal of properly maintaining school facilities while the State of Arizona is reducing spending on education and the State funds earmarked for school building renewal have been eliminated, is virtually impossible without local support.

“As a result, the Governing Board of the District passed and adopted a resolution calling for a special bond election to authorize the issuance and sale of $7,430,000 principal amount of Class B general obligation bonds.  The election will be held on November 3, 2009.

“If approved by the voters, the proceeds of this bond authorization will be used for renovations and improvements throughout the District. First, as a result of aging and extensive use, facilities throughout the District are in need of renovations and major repairs.  These include roof repairs, school safety feature upgrades and improvements to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) criteria.  The bond money will also be utilized to improve District athletic facilities.  These improvements include artificial turf for the high school football stadium and construction of an elementary school multipurpose room.”

If approved, the district could use the $7.43 million in bond funds for the following:

• Constructing school buildings;

• Renovating school buildings;

• Purchasing pupil transportation vehicles;

• Acquiring by purchase or lease school lots;

• Improving school grounds, including adjacent ways thereto;

• Supplying school buildings with furniture, equipment, technology and fixtures;

• Liquidating indebtedness incurred for the purposes set forth herein;

• Providing all utilities and other capital items necessary for the construction and renovation of school buildings and for improving school grounds;

• Paying all architectural, design, engineering, project and construction management and other costs incurred in connection with the purposes set forth above; and

• Paying all legal, financial and other costs in connection with issuance of the bonds?

Proposed capital improvements

Capital improvements expected to be paid from bond proceeds include:

√ Renovations and Improvements throughout District - $4,488,928   

√ Athletic Facility Improvements (including high school  football stadium and elementary multipurpose room construction) - $2,941,072   

Some older bonds are retiring soon, according to the District bond counsel, and despite the sale of the new bonds, there should not be any noticeable increase in the second tax rate, and the rate has the possibility of dropping.

School site sale election

The sale of the old 15th Street School, which has been vacant for more than 15 years, would provide Chiricahua Community Health Centers a location to grow their Pediatric Center for Excellence, and at the same time make use of a vacant building in the community.

The district’s official statement on the potential sale is: “The Douglas Unified School District is seeking voter approval for the sale for nominal value of a vacant school building and land (herein referred to as 15th Street Elementary School) to the Chiricahua Community Health Center (CCHS) organization, (CCHS is a non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation that operates other community health centers in Cochise County); so long as the property is used for the purposes of a health care facility, and should the property not be so used, the property shall revert to Douglas Unified School District or its successor. 

“The 15th Street Elementary School was constructed in 1905 and has been unoccupied since 1996 when it was determined by the Douglas Unified School District’s architect to be in need of extensive repairs and renovations exceeding in excess of 1.1 million dollars.  Furthermore, it was also determined that the existing site is not of adequate size, and thereby unusable as a school site. 

“The Douglas Unified School District has studied this extensively and has recognized that this plan would afford an excellent opportunity for CCHS to provide for the public good and welfare of the City of Douglas community at large; this by providing a community health center and a better public purpose.”

The ballot questions reads:

"Shall the Douglas Unified School District No. 27 of Cochise County, Arizona, be authorized to sell for nominal value the parcel of real property described as the 15th Street Elementary School Lots numbered SEVENTEEN (17) through THIRTY-TWO (32) in Block numbered ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FOUR (124) of the Town site of Douglas in Cochise County, State of Arizona, as shown upon the official map thereof, made by E. G. Howe, C. E. dated Jan. 12, 1901, as amended and on file and of record in the office of the County Recorder of said Cochise County, Arizona to the Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc., for the purpose of operating a community health center and should the property not be used for a community health center, then the property shall revert to the District or its succesor?”

Ginger Ryan of Chiricahua Community Health Center said the group already has the $1.2 million needed for the remodeling of the old school and no local public funds would be needed.

The building has an ideal layout for the Pediatric Center, she said, and it is already free of asbestos and lead paint.

She said the Pediatric Center of Excellence would:

√ Provide the highest quality health services by pediatric-trained professionals for all children - including children with special health care needs.

√ Provide quality space for pediatric specialist to work in Douglas, rather than having to have patients drive as much as 125 miles for an appointment.

√ A state-of-the-art Therapy/Play Room will be available for developmental play activities under the supervision of a professional. The room would also allow enhanced physical, occupational and speech therapy locally.

In addition, the facility will create an additional 29 full-time jobs --  and keep even more health care in Douglas.

 

Just the Facts

Two school-related issues will be decided by voters on Tuesday, November 3.

The first will be a question concerning increased school bonding authority for construction and the second for the sale of the 15th Street School to Chiricahua Community Health Centers for a new Pediatric  Centerfor Excellence.

The election wil be held from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3.

The special election will be held in Douglas Unified School District at the following polling places:

√ Precincts 15, 16, and 17 will vote at the 10th Street Fire Station, 1400 10th Street; Precincts 18 and  20 willvote at St. Luke's Parish Hall, 1211 15th Street; Precincts 14 and 19 will  vote at the National Guard Armory, 1401 E. 8th Street; and Precincts 24 and 28 (McNeal and Pirtleville) will vote at the Pirtleville Fire Station, 404 Irvine Avenue.

The purpose of the election is to permit the qualified electors of the District to vote on authorizing the District to:

1. Issue and sell $7,430,000 principal amount of school improvement bonds of the District.  The estimated average tax rate for the proposed bond authorization is $0.6152 per $100 of assessed valuation.

2. Sell for a nominal value the parcel of real property described as 15th Street Elementary lots numbered 17 through 32 to the Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. for the purpose of operating a community health center.