School bond a good investment in our future

The Carson City School District is asking voters to approve a $25 million bond issue in November's election.

There's a reason very few critics of the bond have emerged - it's a measure that makes sense.

The bulk of the proposed bond would go to building an addition to Carson Middle School, which was built in 1954 as the high school, with a capacity of about 600 students.

Since it has been converted into a middle school, the population has doubled, to 1,200.

The school now uses 11 portable buildings - ranging in age from 15-20 years - to house the overflow of students.

According to Mike Mitchell, director of operations for the school district, it costs $2-$3 per square foot to operate a bricks-and-mortar building annually. The cost to operate portable buildings is $6-$9 per square foot yearly.

About half of the buildings, he said, are beyond repair and should be disposed of in the near future.

The remaining $13 million would be used for general repairs throughout the district, including repair of about 80 percent of the schools' roofs and a new drainage system at Carson High School, as well as heating and air- conditioning systems at other sites.

The bond will not raise the current tax rate of 47 cents per $100,000 of assessed value, but will extend it.

We urge voters to take advantage of this tax-neutral bond to make necessary repairs to save the school district - and taxpayers - money in the future.

It serves the students, and it makes sense financially.