 Date
of election: Tuesday, October 9, 2007
What’s on the ballot?
Voters will be asked to authorize issuance of $105,000,000 general obligation bonds for land acquisition and school construction. Passage of the bond issue will maintain the tax rate currently in effect, so the property tax rate would not increase as a result of the vote. Click here to view a quick list of all the Bond Projects. Haga clic aquí para información en español.
Where do I vote? View
the voting district map here... (pdf)
View Our Bond Video for a quick overview! NOTE: You may need to update your Flash Player:
 QUICK FACTS (read our Q & A for full details):
RIO RANCHO SCHOOLS ARE OUT OF CLASSROOM SPACE
In fact, a recent facilities survey found only one open classroom in the entire district (and it won’t be open for long). Since 2004, the district has added more than 950 students a year on average -- more than enough every year to fill a school. Without adequate classrooms, it is very difficult for teachers and principals to maintain the quality of teaching and learning our community expects. With Rio Rancho’s dynamic growth expected to continue, money to build classrooms is essential.
MILLIONS IN STATE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDS ARE AT STAKE
Since it became an independent district in 1994, Rio Rancho Public Schools has received more than $100 million in school construction funding from the state, while providing about $50 million in matching funds. That’s a two-to-one return on the community’s investment. This bond proposal anticipates the school district would be able to leverage bond dollars to receive at least an additional $40 million in state money.
State law requires that communities provide matching funds in order to receive state school construction money. Rio Rancho Public Schools depends on bond issues to provide these matching funds. Without bond money, local taxpayers would have to pay the entire cost of building and renovating schools, instead of sharing the cost with taxpayers throughout the state.
YOUR SCHOOL TAX RATE WILL NOT INCREASE
Passage of the bond issue would permit the school district to issue new bonds as old ones are retired without increasing the tax rate. If your home is reappraised and has increased in value, your taxes could increase. But the actual tax rate levied by the schools remains the same.
What happens if the bond issue
fails? Do we lose the state money?
Yes. Under state law, local school districts are required to provide matching funds in order to receive state school construction money through the PSCOC. If the community fails to provide matching funds for a project, it cannot qualify for state funding and any funds already awarded revert to the state. The community is then responsible for footing the entire cost of school facilities.
These schools are needed regardless of whether the bond issue passes -- it’s just a question of whether the local community has to pick up the entire tab. |
