Frequent Questions & Answers
Click each question to view the response.
- Why is the school bond needed?
- What will the school bond pay for exactly?
- Why is the school bond so costly?
- Can you give some examples of the overcrowding that puts students in trailers?
- How will the bond affect my taxes?
- Why can’t we use lottery proceeds to pay for these schools?
- What guarantee do we have that the schools will really be built?
- Why does Guilford County pay more to build schools than other counties?
- Did It Cost More to Build Northern High Vs Reagan High in Forsyth County?
- Isn’t there another way to pay for these schools?
- What happens if we don’t approve the school bonds?
- What schools are included in the system-wide HVAC improvements?
- How many new seats will have been provided by the 2000, 2003 and 2008 bonds?
- Since Jamestown Middle and High Schools were not done in the 2003 Bond even though promised, how can I be sure they will be done this time?
- What exactly must I do to vote for the school bonds?
Why is the school bond needed?
The $457 million of school bonds is needed to renovate and expand old schools that have been neglected for decades, to build new schools to accommodate 1,300 additional students who arrive at Guilford County Schools each year, and to provide seats for children who are now going to school in trailers because our schools are overcrowded.
What will the school bond pay for exactly?
The school bond will provide 7,000 new, safe seats for children. The bonds will do that by building six new schools, and expanding and/or renovating 15 additional schools. The bonds will also provide additional athletic and support facilities at several schools, and autism wings at three schools.
Why is the school bond so costly?
The needs in the school system are great, primarily because so little was done to maintain schools, update schools and build schools over the course of more than 20 years prior to the school bond passed in 2000.
Successful schools bonds in 2000 and 2003 have improved conditions in many of our schools. But the job is not complete. We still about 14,000 children attending school in 672 trailers in addition to a number of schools that have not been updated for decades.
In recent years, skyrocketing construction costs have driven up the price of school construction. Accounting for construction inflation, the cost of the current school bond is roughly equal to that of the $300 Million school bond voters passed five years ago.
Can you give some examples of the overcrowding that puts students in trailers?
At Ragsdale High School, for example, the building was meant to serve 1,240 students. Last fall, more than 1,500 students enrolled at Ragsdale. Those additional students attend class in 18 mobile classrooms.
At Southeast High School, 1,340 students attend a school meant to serve 1,040 students. There are 17 trailers at Southeast High School. Southwest High School is so crowded that there are 29 mobile classrooms. This is simply not acceptable. These bonds add capacity to all of these schools.
How will the bond affect my taxes?
The maximum property tax impact will occur in the year 2012 when all of the $457 million of school bonds have been issued. In that peak year, Guilford County officials estimate that the school bonds will increase the tax rate by 8 cents per $100 of valuation. For a house valued at $200,000, this tax rate increase means the taxes on that house will increase by $160 per year.
That is approximately equivalent to one Big Mac from McDonalds per week or one Latte from Starbucks per week. Providing good, safe schools for 7,000 students is certainly worth that amount.
The property tax impact will not be as great if Guilford County Commissioners choose to use lottery funds to pay down the bond debt, a scenario which is likely because lottery funds may only be used for education. In that case, the tax increase would be less.
Why can’t we use lottery proceeds to pay for these schools?
The lottery does not generate enough money to address our school construction needs. In 2007, only $8.1 million in lottery money was available for school construction in Guilford County. The County has $457 million in current needs.
The lottery may help indirectly. The County Commissioners could choose to use the $8 million a year generated by the lottery for Guilford County to pay down the bond debt, which would decrease the impact on property taxes. The lottery money may only be used for education and no other purpose.
What guarantee do we have that the schools will really be built?
The school system is obligated to use the bond money to build and renovate schools. The money may not be used for any other purpose. If the projects come in under budget, the money may be used to build or repair additional schools not on the project list. If the projects come in over budget, then the projects not completed are first in line for new school construction money. One thing is certain; if the bonds do not pass there will be no money available vast majority of these projects will not be funded.
Why does Guilford County pay more to build schools than other counties?
Guilford County does not pay more to build schools than other counties. According to figures from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Planning 10/24/07), Guilford County pays roughly the same or less to build schools than those built under comparable circumstances in other counties.
For example, the average cost of three elementary schools in Guilford County bid in 2006 was $142.15 a square foot. The average cost of all elementary schools bid in 2006 in North Carolina was $144.21 a square foot.
The two middle schools bid in 2005 in Guilford County were slightly higher per square foot cost – about six dollars per square foot - than the average of the five other middle schools bid that same year across the state. The most expensive of the seven middle schools bid that year was bid in Bertie County. That school was about $17 per square foot higher than the average of the two middle schools bid in Guilford County.
The only high school built in Guilford County in recent memory, Northern High School, was bid in 2005 at a cost of $149.64 per square foot. High schools bid in the same year in Chapel Hill, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County and Union County averaged $159.18 a square foot.
Did It Cost More to Build Northern High Vs Reagan High in Forsyth County?
Guilford County does not pay more to build schools than other counties. According to figures from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Planning 10/24/07), Guilford County pays roughly the same or less to build schools than those built under comparable circumstances in other counties.
For example, the average cost of three elementary schools in Guilford County bid in 2006 was $142.15 a square foot. The average cost of all elementary schools bid in 2006 in North Carolina was $144.21 a square foot.
The two middle schools bid in 2005 in Guilford County were slightly higher per square foot cost – about six dollars per square foot - than the average of the five other middle schools bid that same year across the state. The most expensive of the seven middle schools bid that year was bid in Bertie County. That school was nearly $20 per square foot higher than the average of the two middle schools bid in Guilford County.
The only high school built in Guilford County in recent memory, Northern High School, was bid in 2005 at a cost of $149.64 per square foot. High schools bid in the same year in Chapel Hill, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County and Union County averaged $159.18 a square foot.
Isn’t there another way to pay for these schools?
A school bond is the only way to ensure that money is readily available to do this much construction. Bonds work like a home loan. The county will borrow the money to build the schools, and then pay the debt back over time. It is the most responsible way to ensure that our children have a decent place to attend school.
What happens if we don’t approve the school bonds?
The school system has grown by more than 9,000 students since the voters passed a school construction bond in the year 2,000. That bond, and the one passed in 2003 were largely directed at more than 20 years of neglect, which left schools not only terribly overcrowded, but also in deplorable physical condition.
If we do not pass this bond, students in the southwestern, southeast and eastern parts of our county will attend schools that are overcrowded and in bad condition. More than 1,300 new students enroll in our schools every year. They must be accommodated one way or another.
What schools are included in the system-wide HVAC improvements?
Smith HS, Andrews HS, Southeast MS, Jamestown ES, Colfax ES, Aycock MS, Summerfield ES, Jackson MS, Alamance ES, Guilford MS, Ragsdale HS, Sedalia ES, Alderman ES, Kirkman Park ES, Millis Road ES, Wiley ES, Northeast HS, Northwest HS, Archer ES.
How many new seats will have been provided by the 2000, 2003 and 2008 bonds?
2000 – 8,173; 2003 – 7,485; 2008 – 7,091. This totals 22,749.
Since Jamestown Middle and High Schools were not done in the 2003 Bond even though promised, how can I be sure they will be done this time?
Those two schools could not be done in 2003 due to the extremely large increase in construction costs. This time the Board of Education has given them the #1 priority.
What exactly must I do to vote for the school bonds?
There are actually two school bonds on the May 6 ballot. One is for $45 Million, which provides for 1100 students at Eastern High School. The second is for $412 Million, which provides for 6000 students at numerous other schools. You must vote for both bonds to provide for the children of Guilford County.