Chet Alexander: Vote yes on tax-neutral school bond issue

Mr. Barlow made a serious mistake in his Oct. 5 letter to the editor of this paper. Passing the school bond will not hand the Carson City School District a $50 million blank check. Did the last bond give the district an open check? If you research the last bond you will see that the funds were effectively used to remodel the Carson Middle School into a state-of-the-art complex that will serve the city for many years.

This year's bond is earmarked for similar improvements. The largest portion of funds, $7.6 million, is allocated to remove the portable classrooms from Empire Elementary and replace them with brick-and-mortar classrooms. Additionally, the funds will enhance security and energy management in that facility. $5.7 million is allocated to Eagle Valley Middle School to retrofit energy management systems, enhance security and redo science labs. The balance of the initial $25 million will be spread throughout the district.

The second portion of funds, approximately $10 million, is earmarked for enhancements to educational programs including but not limited to: Career and technical education, performing and fine arts, Pioneer High School and Eagle Valley Middle School. The balance of the bond will be used for maintaining the five year replacement cycle of technology.

This is far from a blank check. The school district, through citizen committees and the school board, operates with substantial continuous public oversight. These citizens have helped the district remain a careful and responsible steward of public money. For example, a careful review of priority school projects led the citizen master plan committee to recommend dropping the proposed bond from 47 cents to 43 cents per hundred. It was The Master Plan Committee that determined the district's financial needs.

If this bond issue does not pass, there will be absolutely no reduction in your taxes. The current 43-cents-per-thousand will, instead, revert immediately and forever to the city's general fund tax base, there to be used for things like temporary ice rinks and tearing up Carson Street to create some kind of sidewalk coffeehouse place.

You will save no money by voting "No." The money has been allocated for school needs. The funds are needed now for capital improvements. Funds will not be used for personnel and operating funds. In an operation that has one million square feet of classrooms and educates over 7,500 students, ongoing improvements are always necessary. This school bond will provide those funds without overburdening the city's residents with higher real estate taxes.

• Chet Alexander, a Carson City resident since 2000, actively participates in school bond issues. He helped write the Master Plan document for this bond issue, along with former operations director Mike Mitchell.