Bond 2020
- Bond 2020
- Bond 2020 Budget
- FAQs
-
Elementary school projects by school
- Blue River Elementary
- Cedar Hills Elementary
- Cottonwood Point Elementary
- Harmony Elementary
- Heartland Elementary
- Indian Valley Elementary
- Lakewood Elementary
- Leawood Elementary
- Liberty View Elementary
- Mission Trail Elementary
- Morse Elementary
- Oak Hill Elementary
- Overland Trail Elementary
- Prairie Star Elementary
- Stanley Elementary
- Stilwell Elementary
- Sunrise Point Elementary
- Sunset Ridge Elementary
- Timber Creek Elementary
- Valley Park Elementary
- Wolf Springs Elementary
- Middle school projects by school
- High school projects by school
- District Programs
- Other/district-wide projects
- Feedback opportunities
FAQs
-
How much are voters being asked to approve?
Posted by:The school district is seeking approval to issue $186,835,000 in bonds.
-
Why is the timing important to have a bond now?
Posted by:The last bond election in Blue Valley was passed in 2012 for $271 million. The 2012 bond was originally intended to be a five-year bond. The Board of Education has managed bond proceeds in such a way that the bond lasted the district eight years instead of five. However, proceeds from the 2012 bond cannot be stretched any further.
-
How was the bond project list determined?
Posted by:Over a one-year public process that included a community survey, the Board of Education and district staff examined the needs of the district. The Board feels that this bond package adequately addresses the immediate needs of the district. The majority of the bond will reinvest in the district’s facilities and technology, reinforce school safety and reimagine learning spaces and programs at all school campuses across the district.
-
Why is this bond projected to be cover a shorter period of time?
Posted by:In planning for bond 2020, there was a desire to meet the needs of students more rapidly than in the past. A new construction management approach will be utilized to complete projects over a shorter timeframe with the goal of being able to respond more quickly to an ever-changing educational landscape. Most projects will be completed in three years.
-
Why is it necessary to reinvest in facilities?
Posted by:Continued reinvestment in buildings and their aging systems is needed to provide students with outstanding learning environments. Included in this category are items such as maintenance of paving, roofs and the exterior of buildings; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) replacements; library media space reconfigurations; and flooring replacements.
-
Why is a reinvestment in technology addressed in this bond?
Posted by:A portion of the bond includes funds to reinvest in technology. Technology funds are needed to continue the integration of technology and to support necessary technology infrastructure upgrades, hardware refreshes and software renewals.
-
What bond projects reinforce school safety?
Posted by:Portions of the bond will support school safety enhancements across the district. This includes funding for upgraded building-level safety including interior thumb-turn classroom door locks and open door sensors. In addition, bond funds would update safety systems including the fire alarm system, camera server system and access card reader system.
-
Why is it important to reimagine facilities and programs as part of the bond?
Posted by:Many Blue Valley schools were built more than 25 years ago. This bond gives the district an opportunity to look at how learning has changed and to meet the needs of today’s teachers and students through flexible spaces. It also provides an opportunity to build a new elementary school in the growing southern portion of the district. Funds from the bond provide opportunities to enhance programs, like career and technical education at the middle school and high school level, as well as the robotics program.
-
What happens if the bond election does not pass?
Posted by:If the bond election is not successful, funds to reinvest in facilities and technology, reinforce school safety and reimagine learning environments and programs will not be available. The school district has few options to provide for these needs should the bond election not be successful.
-
How do I find out more information?
Posted by:The Blue Valley School District has developed a website to keep voters informed about the 2020 Bond Election. Questions about the bond can also be emailed from this page.
-
BOND FUNDS
How can bond funds be used?
A common misunderstanding about bond funds is how they can be used. Proceeds from bond issues can only be used for constructing, equipping, maintaining and furnishing school buildings. Bond proceeds cannot be used for general operating fund issues such as teacher salaries, lower student to teacher ratios, extra and co-curricular programs, and other expenses that exist to run the daily operations of the school district. This is an important distinction to remember. Bond funds and operational funds are separate and according to state law these funds cannot be co-mingled.
How is this bond a no tax rate increase?
The 2020 bond referendum is a no tax rate increase for two reasons. First, home values continue to appreciate in Blue Valley allowing for a greater tax base to address public financing needs. Second, and probably most importantly, is the tremendous stewardship offered by the Board of Education by capitalizing on the district’s strong bond rating to ensure the lowest possible interest rates on its bond debt. Several times over the course of the past two decades Blue Valley has refinanced its bond debt to save the taxpayer millions of dollars. Also, the Board has a great history of paying off its debt early, again saving the taxpayers millions of dollars and creating the capacity to take on new bond referendums. Recent examples of refinancing and pre-paying debt include October 2019 when the Board paid off more than $7 million of debt early, saving the taxpayers more than $600,000 in interest. In October 2020, plans are underway to pay off more than $31 million of debt early which will save close to $7 million in interest costs. The Board has done a tremendous job over the past couple of decades to assure a strong financial position going into these bond cycles.
Is $186 million the entire bond package?
The principal portion of the bond package is $186,835,000. Like a home mortgage, the principal portion along with interest is what needs to be paid back to investors. The Blue Valley School District has the highest bond rating available to public entities, thus ensuring that the lowest interest rate will be paid against the principal amount. Further, the school district has a great history of paying off bonds early, thus saving taxpayers millions. Recent examples of refinancing and pre-paying debt include October 2019 when the Board paid off more than $7 million of debt early, saving the taxpayers more than $600,000 in interest. In October 2020, plans are underway to pay off more than $31 million of debt early which will save close to $7 million in interest costs. The Board has done a tremendous job over the past couple of decades to assure a strong financial position going into these bond cycles.
The published interest cost for the bond referendum is about $84 million. However, this assumes an exorbitantly high interest rate and a full 20-year repayment time frame. Blue Valley School District’s actual history suggests that neither of these assumptions will be met, and thus the interest cost will be far less than the $84 million published. Given projections of assessed valuations and scheduled debt retirement, the Board of Education is making the promise of a no tax rate increase with this bond referendum. The bond and interest tax rate is something that the Board can control, and will control for the life of this bond so that the rate does not rise above its present 17.6 mills. -
VOTING
Will my ballot be mailed to me like past Blue Valley School District bond elections?
A ballot will be mailed to all registered voters in the Blue Valley School District around January 8 by the Johnson County Election Office. Simply mark your choice on the ballot, sign and send it back in the postage paid envelope that will accompany the ballot.
When is the last day I can register to vote?Dec. 27, 2019, is the last date citizens may register to vote and automatically receive a mail-in ballot. Those who register to vote from Dec. 28 to Jan. 8 must complete a special application to receive a ballot by mail. Jan. 8, 2020 is the last day a person can register to vote on the Blue Valley School District bond election. For more information about the registration process, visit the Johnson County Election Office website, www.jocoelection.org, or call 913-782-3441.
How do I register to vote?
The Johnson County Election Office has a website for voter registration, www.jocoelection.org.
What is the percentage of votes required for the bond to pass?The bond requires a simple majority of votes, 51 percent, to pass.
