BEAUMONT - Completely fixing the city's public school buildings would take nearly $1 billion, more debt than Beaumont Independent School District can legally or practically take on, according to discussion at Saturday's Community Advisory Bond Committee meeting.
The school replacements, renovations, expansions and new facilities initially recommended Saturday by four subcommittees added up to $925 million including contingencies and inflation over a five-year construction timeline.
"It's probably not going to get any better," said Carl Rabenaldt of 3DI, the Houston firm assisting with facility assessment and cost estimates. "Every year you postpone this, the cost of construction goes up."
The maximum debt the district could legally take on is about $650 million, Chief Financial Officer Jane Kingsley said.
After adjusting to the sticker shock of their combined recommendations, committee members worked to pare down their list of the district's most pressing needs.
The idea of buying land for a future fourth high school was dropped. No separate district-wide soccer field. Middle schools would not get as much room to grow. More elementary schools would be combined (Bingman with Blanchette, Ogden with Dunbar) instead of getting separate brand new buildings.
Committee members debated whether a natatorium belonged in the proposal.
Randy Fluke, chairman of the elementary school subcommittee, said an indoor pool would be nice, but not until every elementary school had everything it needs.
Sheila Barton, a police officer and committee member, said the community needs to provide more sports like swimming for students who might not be interested in football.
For now, a natatorium still is proposed as part of a district-wide multi-purpose complex with a 10,000-seat stadium.
The committee also considered breaking needed projects into two or three phases requiring two or three bond issues.
Paul Jones, co-chairman of the other facilities subcommittee, argued against a phased approach.
"I think we've got a one-shot thing," Jones said. "If you do it halfway now, I have serious doubts whether we'll ever be able to do it again."
After a full day of discussions, the potential price tag remained uncertain and future cuts might be necessary before the committee makes a recommendation to the school board next month. The school board will decide whether to put a proposal before voters in May.
"I think we're probably going to be in the neighborhood of $500 million," co-chairman Dr. David Teuscher said after the meeting. He noted that about 40 percent of the cost comes from built-in inflation, new furnishings and similar costs.
Teuscher said he believes the 40-plus member committee can convince voters to support a sizeable bond issue.
"They're going to realize this is a chance for Beaumont to really make a break for greatness," Teuscher said. "... I have yet to hear from a single person who does not think we need to fix our schools."
Co-chairman Paul Brown said committee members will be able to show voters why every item proposed is justified.
"We've got to keep working until we come up with an agreement we feel will sell all over the community," Brown said after the meeting.
"In Beaumont, Texas, we haven't had any bond issue for so long, we're going all at one time to do many things that should have been done years ago," he said.
Brown said every Beaumont child deserves to go to a safe, up-to-date, nearby school.
"Our job is to give good and sound neighborhood schools to each of our communities, and that's what we're working toward," Brown said.
Based on figures presented at a previous committee meeting, a $600 million bond issue would mean an increase in the district's debt tax rate of about 30 cents per $100 valuation.
However, the district's tax rate for maintenance and operations dropped this year and will drop further next year in response to changes in school financing statewide.
The financing changes mean most homeowners would see no school tax increase over their 2006 tax bill even with a large bond issue.
Elderly and disabled homeowners would see no tax increase at all because their school tax bills are legally capped.
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