Published: October 09, 2009 10:30 pm      

Deer Creek voters face $142.1M bond election

EDMOND — Deer Creek voters Tuesday will be asked to approve a $142.1 million bond package to accommodate the rapidly growing student population in the school district.

Student enrollment has gone from 2,569 students in October 2005 to 3,611 students in October 2009.

Even with the passage of Bond Issue 39, taxes will not increase.

“Since the bonds will be sold in a series stretching over six to eight years, approving the bond package will not raise taxes,” said Jan Larsen, board president. “I think it is really important for the patrons to know that the school board will keep the millage rate in the district the same. Taxes will not be raised. As we retire old bonds, we will sell additional bonds, but we will not raise taxes above the 35 mills.”

Larsen added the district always had a gentleman’s agreement not to raise the millage, but to make sure residents know their taxes will not be raised the board passed a resolution stating that fact.

Deer Creek Now, a committee composed of Deer Creek residents, has worked to create a long-range plan for the school district.

If passed Tuesday, Phase I of the bond is designated to go toward a second middle school to be built between Pennsylvania and May on the north side of Sorghum Mill Road.

The middle school will contain 30 regular classrooms with a computer lab in each pod, elective classrooms, full and practice gymnasium, media center, cafeteria with a stage and athletic facilities and fields for a total of $40.4 million.

“Some money in the last bond issue ($10.5 million) was allocated for the new middle school so an architect is already drawing the plans,” Larsen said. “Providing the bond is passed, we can start dirt work immediately.”

She added all the portables were taken from other schools and put behind the middle school. “As I see it right now we have a village of modular buildings behind the middle school.”

The bond package will meet future additional needs of the district including:

Construction of 50 additional classrooms, 10 science labs, three to four computer labs and a second cafeteria at the high school; at a total cost of $1.9 million for phases II and III;

• Construction of a performing arts and athletic center at the high school for a total cost of $28 million;

• Upgrade transportation and athletic facilities at a cost of $9 million;

• Construction of a fifth elementary school at a cost of $17.8 million scheduled for phase III.

The money for the fifth elementary school was donated from Kay-Bee Investment Company with the stipulation that the school be built in seven years, Larsen said. “If the school is not built within the time frame then the land goes back to the company. I believe we are down to six years now.”

• Also in phase III is administration building additions at a cost of $1.9 million;

• Original gym renovation $1 million in phase IV;

• Upgrade safety, security and technology at a cost of $10 million;

• Curriculum, $5 million;

• Facilities maintenance at a cost of $5 million;

• Athletic programs support at $1.5 million;

• Elementary school playgrounds, expansion and replacement of equipment, $300,000;

• Transportation: 30 buses at $90,000 each, six suburbans at $30,000 each, five pickups at $15,000 each, compact cars at $12,000 each for a total of just more than $3 million.

• Contracted costs such as construction supervision and financial fees at $1.5 million.

• Demolition costs at a cost of $100,000.

Bond 39 projects total costs are $152 million, less $10.5 million existing bond 36 funds for a total $142 million.

The various pieces of the bond package were developed by four long-range planning committees (facilities, curriculum, technology and safety) to address the needs of the district during the next 10 years and, therefore, the size of the bond package is substantially greater than previous bond packages presented to Deer Creek voters.

“I am thankful to the many patrons who have worked the past few months to create a long-range plan for our school district,” Superintendent Rebecca Wilkinson said. “The bond issue would provide the funding needed to make the plan a reality for Deer Creek.”



FOR ANSWERS to questions concerning the bond issue go to http://www.deercreekschools.org/. Anyone wanting additional information about the bond initiative may contact Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson or any member of the Board of Education. Contact information is available at http://www.deercreekschools.org/. Co-chairs of Deer Creek Now, Jacob Mays, 633-2580, and Stacy Curttright, 919-9009, also are available to answer questions about the bond initiative.