The North Shore School District is seeking to issue new bonds to raise funds for the purpose of upgrades and improvements to the school facilities. The district wants to obtain $19.6 Million Dollars for this purpose.

DISTRICT CLAIMS EXTENSIVE REPAIRS AND UPGRADES ARE NEEDED.

The district has provided some information about their request. I have reviewed their 72 page engineers report (which is available on the NSSD website.) The scope of the proposed work includes:

Roofing replacement, HVAC (Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning,) flooring replacements, brick re-pointing, waterproofing, flooring replacement, electrical upgrades, auditorium upgrades, gym upgrades.

REVIEWING THE NECESSITY OF THIS WORK

I am reviewing these proposals to understand the need of the requested work. I have requested further information from the district, and have requested the sites be made available for visual inspection. Incidentally, I am a commercial property manager and hold professional licenses for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, so I have the ability to review these issues.

DISTRICT SPIN – SPEND NOW TO SAVE LATER

The district is already spinning this spending request by claiming that doing this work now will be cheaper than waiting. They base this concept based on two factors. 1- Interest rates are low now, hence the bond can be obtained at a low cost. 2- Contractors will theoretically charge more in the future.

I can already tell you this logic is faulty. While it may be true that interest rates may rise in the future, and inflation will cause costs to rise over time, that is not a compelling enough reason to replace infrastructure while it still has usable life. By the district’s own admission in its documents, the infrastructure cited still has 5 – 10 years of lifespan left. By starting replacement now, the district is throwing away building components with usable life. Interest rates may rise in the future, but large increases seem unlikely. Furthermore, the infrastructure can probably be replaced with small repairs and maintenance instead of replacement.

ANOTHER DISTRICT REQUEST FOR MONEY FROM TAXPAYERS

I was hoping we wouldn’t have to discuss money issues with the district until early 2014 for the 2014-2015 budget proposals. Unfortunately, we now have to deal with another significant NSSD spending issue under the backdrop of the pending 19% tax increase. I find it disconcerting that the district is seeking to embark on a large spending program in the midst of a fiscal crisis without first finding significant cost savings for taxpayers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Attend the meetings listed below and let your voice be heard by addressing the Board of Education.
• Inform friends & family in the community about the issue.
• If you are not getting our emails, get on our mail list to stay informed about this and other important issues affecting our community. Sign up at https://seacliffpoc.org/
• Facebook users: Like our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/seacliffpoc

IMPORTANT DATES

Community Meetings on the Bond Proposal
October 1 : 7:30 PM  NS HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
October 28 7:30 PM GLENWOOD LANDING SCHOOL LIBRARY
December 1 BOND VOTE

Next Regular Board of Education Meeting:

September 26 NS HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY

Dates and times subject to change, please check with the NSSD website.