Carroll schools’ bond includes ‘domino effect’ project

If voters approve a $208 million bond on the May ballot, a number of student programs at the high school level would gain additional space from the “domino effect” of a new performing arts center for the band and choir programs, district officials said.

Superintendent David Faltys and John Haugen, an architect and facility planning consultant for the district, gave members of the district’s budget and finance committee an overview of the proposal at a Feb. 22 committee meeting. The presentation was one of many scheduled over the next two months to educate voters about the bond.

The next presentation for the community is set for 7 p.m. March 8 at Old Union Elementary School.

The $24 million band and choir facility would be near the corner of Peytonville and Southlake Boulevard, just west of the building that houses visual arts classes.

The project’s “domino effect” would allow the band program to move out of Carroll High School, freeing up that space for the STEM program (Science Technology Engineering Math). Rooms on the third floor previously occupied by STEM would be renovated into additional science labs.

The choir would move out of its current hall in Carroll Senior High School, where those areas could then be used by the journalism and theater programs.

Faltys said the STEM program is growing and could use the larger space and easy access to outdoors for projects involving the table saw, the 3D printer, drones, robots and more.

The new performing arts building at Carroll Senior High would be integrated into an arts area on campus with landscaping and walkways. The 700-seat auditorium with acoustics for music would require additional parking. With the building, green space for drainage and aesthetics and parking, the corner would be essentially complete, officials said.

Haugen said, “One of the things we’re creating on that campus is synergy. That part of the property has synergy with the arts, other areas have synergy with athletics and synergy with academics.”

Bond dollars in a “Robin Hood” district

The bond would not raise the tax rate, currently at $1.04 for daily operations and 35 cents for bond debt. The last Carroll bond election in May 2009 was for $138 million and constructed the new Carroll Middle School and Walnut Grove Elementary School.

Because Carroll is a property wealthy school district subject to Chapter 41 (Robin Hood), officials send a portion of the property tax revenue for daily maintenance and operations (m&o) back to the state for distribution elsewhere. The district keeps all bond funds, which also benefit from increased property values. For the operating budget, increased values have little to no impact because gains are sent back to the state, officials said.

Haugen said using bond funds for long-term maintenance items and artificial turf for athletic fields across the district make sense because it offloads a tight daily operating budget. Artificial turf saves money by cutting costs for irrigation and mowing.

“Because of the issue of m&o dollars versus bond dollars, the question is, ‘Does it pay for itself before it wears out?’” Haugen said.

This story was originally published February 28, 2017 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Carroll schools’ bond includes ‘domino effect’ project."