June 2019

General Obligation Bond Election

We are very fortunate at Alburnett to have been able to continuously update and grow the school facilities as needs have arisen over the years. Many areas of the Alburnett facility are modern, appropriately sized, and are points of pride for the district. As enrollment has grown, new additions have been added and improvements have been made. However, needs are always present

This edition of The Pirate Chronicles is solely dedicated to providing information related to an upcoming general obligation bond election that will address those needs. On June 25, eligible voters in the Alburnett Community School District will have the opportunity to vote on a referendum that would allow the district to take on a new general obligation bond to fund $11.46 million of upgrades and additions.

There are relatively few opportunities like this for residents of a school district to directly cast a vote on school matters. While we hope you feel there are unlimited opportunities to share your ideas with school personnel on a much more regular basis, participating in a general obligation bond election is a unique opportunity to directly impact a decision.

While an election is a culminating moment, the questions you will see on the ballot are developed long before election day. As a district, we have the ability to keep our facilities in good repair and make small updates by using revenue from the Physical Plant & Equipment Levy (PPEL) and one-cent sales tax (SAVE) for annual facility needs. For larger projects, such as the one on the ballot on June 25, though, we go to our community to ask for additional funding through property tax.

Because the Alburnett School Board has been aggressively paying down principal on the 2007 General Obligation bond we have been able to pay off bonds seven years early and save taxpayers $395,978 in interest. The growing list of facility needs and the early completion of the 2007 bond have positioned the district to seek community approval of a new general obligation bond.

With these factors in mind, the Alburnett school board selected OPN Architects from Cedar Rapids to assist our community with a facility study. For several months, a group of 25 community members worked with OPN to study needs and options. Using the result of OPN’s assessments and analysis, the committee was able to arrive at a long-term solution that addressed the most immediate needs of the district’s aging facilities, while also looking to future needs.

Throughout the process, the priorities have remained consistent: 10 additional classrooms, updated facilities for career and technical classes (agriculture, industrial tech, family and consumer science), music classrooms, library/media center, additional parking, an auditorium, security for the elementary entrance, and updates to restrooms throughout the facility. The committee made their recommendation to the school board in March, and on April 30, the board called for the election that will be held June 25.

This newsletter contains details on proposed plans, property tax rate history, property tax implications, and answers to commonly asked questions. We welcome your additional questions. If you would like to visit in person, or would like an informal presentation to a small group, please do not hesitate to call (319-842-2266) or email (dtrimble@alburnettcsd.org).

Purple on Purpose!

Dani Trimble

Superintendent