2005 Referendum: Question 3 Fact Sheet

Question 3 - Major Repair & Replacement in School District Buildings, and for Technology & Instructional Equipment

In 1999, voters in the Madison School District overwhelmingly (73%) approved authorization to apply $4 million a year for five years to major building needs. This authorization is expiring, so this question asks to extend it for five more years to spend on major building systems, technology and instructional equipment.
The school district has a well-documented need for repair and replacement of major building systems that are in critical need because these systems have outlived their useful life. A five-year plan to repair and replace items in critical condition shows $26.2 million in projects. The comprehensive facility assessment was done by external experts and school district staff.
The school district is lagging in the purchase of computer technology and other instructional equipment. Since over $500,000 per year of targeted technology funding from the state was eliminated two years ago, the school district has no dedicated funding for the replacement of technology and other instructional equipment.
Because the school district has paid off some of its debt, there will be available an average of $5.24 million per year over the next five years, for a total of $26.2 million
This question asks for authorization to allow the school district to use the available $26.2 million for repair and replacement of old building systems (air handling, electrical, roofing, building exteriors, etc.) and for the purchase of computer technology and other instructional equipment.
With the funding from the 1999 referendum, $20 million in repair and replacement of building systems has been completed.
The funding from an approved referendum will supplement the $3.1 million in the operating budget every year for repair and replacement of major building systems.
This need is critical despite the outstanding work of school district building services staff members who care for and repair outdated systems to keep them fully functional. The average age of MMSD school buildings is 44 years.
Examples of major facility needs include:
Brick tuck pointing, roof, temperature controls & valves, flooring, bleachers at East: $3,456,000
Exterior windows, electrical, temperature controls, roofing at Toki/Orchard Ridge: $1,785,300
Entrance canopy, fascia, cupola, temperature controls & valves at West: $1,587,600
Lighting, electrical, roof, boiler, ventilator, temperature control at Allis/N. Mundo: $1,562,400
The funding can be used only for repair and replacement of major building systems, computer technology and other instructional equipment.
The impact on property taxes, related to this referendum question only, is:
If voters approve this question, taxes would stay the same.
If voters reject this question, taxes would go down an average of $82 per year.
Passing this question would allow the district to keep the money from reduced debt service and apply it toward critical facility, technology and instructional equipment needs.

Question 3
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