Arlington district thrilled over bond plan's passage

By TRACI SHURLEY and SHIRLEY JINKINS

tshurley@star-telegram.com

Arlington school administrators didn’t wait until Tuesday’s election to start mapping out how they would spend $197.5 million in bond money.

On Wednesday, they were excited to put those plans into motion.

The bond package, which includes funds for an elementary school, four school additions, technology, buses and fine arts equipment, was approved 64 percent to 36 percent. The vote tally was 10,475 for and 5,810 against, according to unofficial returns.

Steven Harvey, assistant superintendent of technology, said Wednesday that he will buy computers "as quickly as we can get permission to spend money."

"Because we haven’t purchased computers for two years, we have a lot of critical needs in a lot of computer labs," he said, adding that the 9- or 10-year-old computers in some labs are "nearly unusable."

Officials expect to issue $12.8 million in bonds by year’s end to take advantage of no-interest Qualified School Construction Bonds offered through the federal stimulus program. District plans also call for issuing another $12.8 million in no-interest bonds in 2010, the maximum for which it is eligible, and about $41.3 million in other bonds.

Technology, fine arts and bus purchases are planned for the first year. The first construction priority will be $13.5 million in science labs that must be completed before fall 2010 to meet state curriculum requirements.

Officials will also start looking for land for an elementary school. That project, to accommodate student growth in east-central Arlington and Grand Prairie, will also require some changes to elementary attendance boundaries in that area, officials have said.

Money scramble

On Tuesday night, school board President Mike O’Donnell said it will be the first time in at least six years that the district has significantly altered any boundaries. Back then, he was chairman of the residents committee that helped devise changes.

He envisions a similar process for the new school: Residents will work with demographers on a plan that will be presented to the public.

"It’s all about information and trying to make sure everyone is informed and has a chance to express their opinions," O’Donnell said.

Elsewhere in Tarrant County, school districts were making plans on how to save money, not spend it.

Voters in the Aledo and Everman school districts defeated tax ratification issues, even though their property tax rates would not have changed. The districts would have been able to raise their operating budgets by decreasing their debt service budgets by the same amounts.

Aledo’s totals were 1,027 against and 788 in favor, or 56.6 percent to 43.4 percent.

The election’s failure is disappointing, said June Lancarte, a district spokeswoman. The district would have reaped $2.7 million more in operating money. Now it will have to take $3.3 million from savings to meet the $40.5 million budget.

"We seem to have a contingent of voters who vote without knowing all the facts," Lancarte said.

The tax ratification election will likely be repeated next year. This year, 17 staff positions at Aledo schools were cut, and more may be on the way, Lancarte said.

"It’s going to make things a whole lot tougher than they need to be," Lancarte said. "We were all hopeful it would pass because there wouldn’t have been a change" to tax bills.

She had no specifics Wednesday about any upcoming changes.

Tough situations

Everman Superintendent Jeri Pfeifer was stoic about the election loss in her district. She sent out a staff e-mail early Wednesday saying no jobs were in immediate danger.

"We just won’t be able to replace buses or computers," Pfeifer said. "We did not budget assuming this would pass, so we aren’t in a panic mode here in November."

If the measure had passed, Everman’s operating budget would have gained an extra $1.3 million.

The contest was close, with 304 no votes, or 50.7 percent, to 296 yes votes, or 49.3 percent.

Passage always seemed in doubt, she said.

"I am certainly not daunted," Pfeifer said. "The voters told us what they want, and we’re moving forward. We have the precious gift of time to plan for next year and do what needs to be done carefully and systematically."

TRACI SHURLEY, 817-390-7641 SHIRLEY JINKINS, 817-390-7657

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