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 Nearly 50,000
students are educated in Anchorage School District schools and
facilities each year. We gather input from the community and
assess our facility needs regularly and those needs are
presented to the voters in the form of school bonds. But, when
you cast your votes on April 2, you are the one who will
decide whether to fund our renovation, construction and major
maintenance needs.
Propositions 5 and 6 were developed with
the support of the Capital Request Advisory Committee (which
represents parents, students and a good cross section of
community members), the Anchorage School Board and the
Anchorage Assembly. This rigorous public process helps ensure
that the most critical needs throughout the municipality are
addressed and that the community's investment in school
facilities is protected.
The district plans for growth in the student body by
recommending renovations and expansions of existing schools as
well as new construction. Proposition 5 affects 13 schools by
continuing phased renovations at local high schools and
Wendler Middle School, expanding an overcrowded elementary
school and planning for future projects.
We have an ongoing program that addresses routine and
preventative maintenance projects and is funded through our
annual budget. However, some projects, such as roof
replacements, mechanical upgrades and code renovations extend
beyond the scope of the regular maintenance program. These
projects make our facilities safe for students and bring
schools up to the educational standards needed in the 21st
century. Sometimes this means improving fire sprinkler systems
or upgrading electrical systems to accommodate computers.
Proposition 6 funds major maintenance across the district.
This proposition also funds 10 replacement school buses; the
state of Alaska reimburses the cost of buses.
When you make this important decision on April 2, you will
weigh the benefits of funding capital improvements with the
cost of the debt service. This brochure provides descriptions
of the projects included on Propositions 5 and 6 and the
associated costs. Please review the facts outlined in the
following pages and contact us if you have questions. More
information is available on these pages or through our
public affairs office, 742-4153. We are committed to
providing you with the facts you need to make an informed
decision on April 2.
Carol Comeau
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In December 2001 the Anchorage School Board
approved two bond propositions to go before the Anchorage voters in
April 2002. (These documents are provided as PDF
files and require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to
view.
 )
ASD
Memorandum #136 - 2002 General
Obligation Bond Recommendations
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Attachment
A: Project Descriptions - Districtwide Major
Maintenance
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Attachment
B: Project Descriptions - Capital and Other Projects
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Attachment
D: Capital Request Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
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Attachment
E: Capital Request Advisory Committee Revised
Meeting Minutes
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Memo #136 was revised at the December 10, 2001 School Board
meeting. Changes
to this memo can be reviewed in the minutes for this
meeting. (page 22)
Proposition 5
Shall Anchorage borrow up to $52,125,000 through the issuance
of general obligation bonds to pay for educational capital
improvements within Anchorage and increase the municipal tax cap
by an amount of $198,794 to pay for associated annual operations
and maintenance costs? More information
Proposition 6
Shall Anchorage borrow up to $46,570,000 through the issuance
of general obligation bonds? The general obligation bond proceeds
will be used to pay costs of planning, designing, acquiring
property for, site preparation, constructing, acquiring,
renovating, installing and equipping educational capital
improvement projects within Anchorage. More
information
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School
Additions/Renovations
Proposition 5 |
$52,125,000 |
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Estimated annual tax increase for every
$100,000 of property value |
$26.36 |
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Estimated annual increase in tax cap for
every $100,000 of property value to pay for operation
and maintenance costs related to the proposed
educational capital improvements |
$1.18 |
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Major Maintenance
Proposition 6 |
$46,570,000 |
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Estimated annual tax increase for every $100,000 of
property value |
$23.61 |
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Frequently asked questions about school bonds
 Why does the district have school bond propositions on
the ballot every year?
 The Anchorage School District houses
nearly 50,000 students in over seven million square feet of
facilities. Sixty-three of the community's 94 facilities are 20 to
50 years old. Building components wear out and the student
population continues to grow. Some schools become functionally
obsolete; science rooms are outdated and electrical systems can't
support computer technology. The district continues to ask the
voters to fund school improvements to keep our schools in good
condition and protect the community's investment in school
facilities. In recent years the district began focusing its capital
improvement projects on our aging high schools. These are large
renewal projects that must be done in phases. The district requests
funding as needed to support the projects.
How does the district
maintain its schools?
For the 2001-02 school year,
the district allocated more than $15 million for routine
maintenance: painting, repairing equipment, replacing broken glass,
fixing locks, plowing snow, repairing fences, and maintaining
plumbing, heating and electrical systems. The district has an
extensive system of preventative maintenance and conducts regular
assessments of maintenance needs. Major capital improvements, like
school renovations, major maintenance and system replacements, are
paid for through voter-approved general obligation bonds.
How much previous bond debt
is the district paying off in the next few years?
The district will pay off the
following approximate amounts of principal and interest:
| FY 2001-02 |
$47.8 million |
| FY 2002-03 |
$53.2 million |
| FY 2003-04 |
$54.4 million |
| FY 2004-05 |
$54.4 million |
 If you have comments or questions regarding these bonds, call 907-742-4153 or e-mail us using our Bond comment box
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