Proposed SPLOST renewal: Superintendent presents $192M preliminary list of projects
The week before Christmas, superintendent David Lewis presented the Muscogee County School Board with a $192,185,000 wish list.
But he emphasized the 24 items he mentioned in Wednesday evening's presentation at the board's called work session aren't extravagant gifts. Rather, he contended, they are essential to what he called continuing the momentum in a school district that is closing the gap and exceeding the state average in some areas.
"I don't want anything to compete with being able to provide curriculum and instructional needs for our students in order to meet the capital needs that are requirements," Lewis said.
So eight months after disclosing that he would seek renewal of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax that helps fund the school district's capital expenses, Lewis said he has completed his assessment of those needs, including surveys of administrators and PTAs.
The current SPLOST, which Muscogee County voters approved in 2009, expires at the end of this year. Lewis plans to ask the board at its regular meeting in January to authorize a March 17 referendum to renew the 1 percent sales tax.
The 2009 referendum allowed the school district to collect as much as $223,155,784 for capital projects. But due to the sluggish recovery from the Great Recession, the administration estimated in October that total revenue from this SPLOST will be about $30.4 million short. As a result, the board deferred three projects: the new gym at Fort Middle School for district-wide use, other new athletic facilities, and furniture and equipment. Those projects are on the preliminary list for the proposed renewal of the SPLOST.
The list won't be finalized until after the board authorizes the referendum and 10 public forums are conducted, Lewis said, one in each of the district's nine zones, plus a centralized one.
"I'm looking forward to hearing from the community," Lewis said.
The items on the superintendent's list range from $56 million for replacing Spencer High School to $250,000 for upgrading playgrounds. And in between, various other areas throughout the district are addressed.
"Let's make sure we provide for the needs of our students - and all students - autistic students, gifted students, regular students, artistic students, athletic students," Lewis said. "They all need to come to school."
Then he quoted author Jamie Vollmer, who spoke in Columbus this year: "Public education is the point where morality and practicality meet, and that's what this is about, morality and practicality for our students and our community."
No board member spoke against the proposal during the work session. Afterward, board chairman Rob Varner of District 5 called it "a balanced presentation of the needs across the entire community. I suspect if he showed us the entire list he got from the principals in prior meetings, it would be three times that much. But they had to pare it down to a number that's reasonable to collect over the next five years, assuming our economy holds up."
Mark Rice, 706-576-6272. Follow Mark on Twitter@MarkRiceLE.
PRELIMINARY LIST
Spencer High School replacement: $56,000,000
District-wide technology and infrastructure upgrades: $34,000,000
District-wide needs denoted in the five-year facilities plan: $28,000,000
Multi-sport complex for district-wide use (football stadium, soccer fields, track): $11,000,000
Roof replacements: $8,160,000
Upgrade softball and baseball fields at some high schools (Columbus, Hardaway, Jordan, Kendrick and Shaw): $7,200,000
Program enhancement for arts academy (funded by current SPLOST and expected to start construction within a year): $6,000,000
Expand weight rooms and wrestling rooms at some high schools (Columbus, Jordan, Kendrick, Northside and Shaw): $5,000,000
Replace outdated buses and related equipment: $5,000,000
Shaw High School alterations and additions: $4,000,000
District-wide refurbishment of outdated school kitchens: $4,000,000
Financing of bond issue: $4,000,000
Retrofit some schools to add programming for autistic students: $3,500,000
Columbus Museum electrical and mechanical equipment replacement and upgrades: $3,350,000
Kinnett Stadium upgrades (field house, press box, concession stands, restrooms): $3,175,000
Fort Middle School gym replacement: $2,900,000
Furniture, fixtures and equipment where needed: $2,400,000
District-wide security improvements and replacement of outdated communications equipment: $1,500,000
Cafeteria and auditorium upgrades at some schools (Arnold, Clubview, Columbus, Eddy, Hardaway and Kendrick): $1,000,000
South Columbus Public Library addition: $600,000
Northside High School cafeteria expansion: $500,000
Construct virtual e-library in north Columbus (an automated 24-hour facility, like a large RedBox): $400,000
Transportation facilities and alternative energy sources study: $250,000
Playground upgrades at elementary schools: $250,000
Total: $192,185,000
This story was originally published December 17, 2014 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Proposed SPLOST renewal: Superintendent presents $192M preliminary list of projects."