Referendum 2018

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ'S)

Q: How did we get here?

Through 2014-2015, the Jamestown School Board held a series of meetings with school staff, administration, parents and community members to discuss the short-term and long-term facility needs of the school system. One goal was to put a master plan in place that would: 

• Address maintenance and upgrades for existing facilities,
• Examine present school configuration,
• Identify needs for possible new facilities or structures, and
• Ensure that the district uses facilities and land in the best way. 

Focusing on the most immediate educational and facility needs, the School Board called for a referendum vote in 2015. The proposal addressed growth in elementary schools, air quality at each elementary and middle school building and created flexible learning spaces in each of the K-5 buildings. Although the $19 million proposal had strong majority support (58.4%), the referendum fell 31 votes short of the 60% required to pass.

Q: How did the district respond to the unsuccessful referendum?

On January 11, 2016, a referendum review committee of school board members, administration, teachers, support staff, parents, and consultants met to consider feedback received after the vote. Feedback received at that time requested more specifics on the plan, communicating what would be done with Washington Elementary, evaluating district-wide maintenance needs, and getting staff input to educational goals and facility needs.

The School Board retained Consolidated Construction Company to create a 10-year capital projects plan, and authorized the DLR Group to design and work with staff on facility planning. On July 18, 2016, the capital projects plan was presented and approved by the Jamestown school board. The report confirmed that our facilities have been well maintained, but many systems are nearing end of life or need updating to current standards. Critical items from the report included the condition of the roofs, windows, the lack of handicap accessibility to ADA (American with Disabilities Act) standards, heating and ventilation systems, electrical and lighting systems, safety and security improvements.

Given the capital maintenance needs, and continued enrollment growth, the school board formed a Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) in December 2016. Since that time, 10 meetings have been held with the CAC with areas of focus including: a) facility tours, b) 21st Century education needs, c) community and staff discussions, d) determined district-wide needs, e) cost and tax impact analysis, and g) prioritization of needs.

On January 16, 2018, the Citizen’s Advisory Committee presented their recommendation to the school board, to bring this district-wide improvement project to the public, at a cost not to exceed the school district’s 5% debt limit.

After hearing support for the plan, continued enrollment growth, and with currently favorable construction costs and interest rates, the school board voted unanimously to call for a referendum vote on September 25, 2018.

Q: Can the facility needs be addressed with current funding?

There is a capital maintenance “bubble” in the next 3 – 5 years that will require additional funding. On average, our capital maintenance needs $2.1 million annually for the next 10 years, in excess of the current annual funding of about $660,000.

Q: What is a Maker Space?

A Maker Space is a flexible learning environment for 21st Century learners, designed to meet the needs of all students. 21st Century learning moves students beyond simply gaining knowledge to applying what they learn. These spaces enable teachers and students to work through various project-based problems that develop the skills companies desire like communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. The result is a deeper, more relevant educational experience for students.

Q: Why not share use of University of Jamestown Facilities or coordinate with UJ to build shared facilities?

The Jamestown School District and the University of Jamestown, in being good stewards of community funds, have been in consistent communications over many years related to cooperation and coordination of facilities.  The reality is that the application of a sharing arrangement would be complex and require the right situation for two different organizations.

Most importantly, the door is never shut on these communications.  The University of Jamestown and the Jamestown School District have had an excellent relationship and will continue to be partners in providing high quality education.  If the timing and situation is right for both entities, opportunities to share facilities will be explored and strongly considered.

Q: What if the Referendum doesn't pass?

As it relates to facility maintenance, if the referendum fails to pass, the district will need to continue to prioritize which capital projects will completed based on available funding.  With a 10-mill building fund, the district is currently not able to fund all projects identified through the Capital Projects Plan over the next 10 years.  Additionally, the needs of the district will not change and an unsuccessful referendum  would result in prioritizing major projects over general maintenance, which may result in greater facility needs in the long-term.

As it relates to being stewards of tax dollars, the district and school board has recognized that this may be the most opportune time economically to pursue large-scale construction and renovation.  The district will be able to apply for a 2% state school construction loan through the State of North Dakota, which could save the taxpayers as much as $2.2 million over the 20-year life of the bonds if sold issued at 3.9%.  Additionally, construction costs are forecasted to rise again in North Dakota so the proposed projects will become more expensive in upcoming years.

Q: What are the major changes in education since our buildings were built?

As communities’ social and economic conditions change, schools must change their strategies, services and programs to continue providing for academic growth, social/emotional growth, and the custodial needs of families. Some specific changes in the last decade include:

• Using technology in day-to-day learning
• Teaching job skills
• Focusing on the 4 C’s of Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking
• Advancing vocational instruction
• Increasing student services, such as behavioral health and career counseling
• Improving ADA accessibility
• Supporting students with special needs
• Improving safety and security

Though Jamestown High School was recently built, and Jamestown Middle School was recently renovated, most of our elementary educational spaces are much older and no longer meet current needs. While the staff does an excellent job adapting to these limits, the facilities continue to be outdated.

Q: When was each school constructed, expanded or renovated?

• Washington Elementary: Built in 1929; additions in 1960 and 1989
• Lincoln Elementary: Built in 1955; addition in 2000
• Roosevelt Elementary: Built in 1958; addition in 1974
• Gussner Elementary: Built in 1965; addition in 1971
• Louis L’Amour Elementary: Built in 1990
• JMS: Built in 1953; additions in 1962, 1967, and 2005
• JHS: Built in 2004

Q: Are our school facilities available for Community use?

Schools are a hub in the community.  Some of the facilities, such as the green space by the Jamestown Middle School, are available for use outside of the school day.  Other facilities, such as the high school auditorium, are available to be utilized for a scaled rental fee.  While the priority for all of these spaces are school use, the district wants to continue to be a strong community partner and we welcome ideas on how our facilities could better benefit the community.

Q: How do our operational costs compare with other School Districts across the state?

The state’s school districts have a wide range of operational costs based on the values and expectations of their communities. For example, districts with smaller neighborhood schools have less efficient operation — and therefore, higher costs — than districts with fewer, larger elementary schools.

Jamestown is large enough that many different opportunities and services are expected. At the same time, the city is small enough that providing a wide variety of services efficiently is a difficult challenge.  The district does continually monitor our expenditures, striving to provide the best services as cost-efficiently as possible.

Q: What is our current student enrollment and what is it expected to be in the future?

The Jamestown School Board also engaged with RSP and Associates to conduct two enrollment studies.  The first was conducted in the 2014/2015 School Year and presented to the board on April 6, 2015.  The second study was commissioned in the 2016/2017 School Year to address a changing economic environment in Jamestown.  This most recent enrollment study projected a generally stable, albeit slightly increasing, enrollment of 2,247 by the 2020/2021 School Year.

Q: Have other funding sources been considered?

North Dakota school districts have few ways to fund capital projects. Based on the limited opportunities, the Jamestown School District would apply for $10 million through the state construction loan fund and would sell bonds for the remaining portion of the project.

It is important to note that the construction of Jamestown High School was funded mostly with a $.01 sales tax. It was one of only two schools to be funded in this manner. Since the JHS referendum, changes to state law have made this option unavailable.

Q: What other options were considered?

Throughout the entire facility assessment and master planning process starting in 2014, numerous alternatives and options were considered. With the consistent foundation of improving both efficiency and effectiveness, numerous scenarios ranging from minimal renovations to new construction at all levels of the district were developed and evaluated. The proposed solution balances both the short-term and long-term needs of Jamestown Public Schools and was supported by the Citizen’s Advisory Committee.

Q: How much room is there for future growth?

Jamestown Public Schools regularly updates demographic scenarios and enrollment projections as recently as 2017. The proposed solution provides effective and efficient educational space that will meet the needs of the numbers of students projected to be in the district for the foreseeable future.

Q: How much does the District save with the State 2% loan?

Current bond rates are in the range of 3.75 to 4.00%. If the 2% State Loan Program was not available and the project were financed through a bond issue at an interest rate of 3.90%, additional mills would be required from local tax payers, at an additional cost of approximately $2,200,000 over the 20-year life of the bonds.

Q: How many years to pay off the loan?

The loan is for 20 years, the maximum time allowed by the Century Code. The School District is financing for 20 years to keep the local tax impact minimal, but the loan can be paid off early without penalty.

Q: What if construction costs are different than planned?

Current construction costs are lower than we have seen in the last 3-5 years and are very competitive. If bids are more than the estimated costs, the school board will reduce the project scope and costs to keep the overall project costs at the amount estimated for the voters.

If the construction costs come in lower than estimated, or additional funding becomes available, the school board will gain community input, through the Citizen’s Advisory Committee and other open meetings, to determine possible next steps, such as decreasing the tax burden or funding other priorities in the capital projects plan.

Q: Will the project be up for public bid?

Yes, our Construction Manager has been hired through a competitive bid process, and all construction work will be legally advertised and competitively bid. The work will be packaged to enable local contractors to participate in the fullest extent possible.

After final design is approved and satisfactory bids have been received, the Construction Manager will provide a Guaranteed Maximum Price for the project. 100% of savings under the Guaranteed Maximum Price will be returned to the School District at the completion of the project.

Q: What is the timeline for the Project?

With Voter approval on September 25, 2018 the project will proceed as follows:

• Phased Design/Construction (DLR/CCC)
• Transition House
• Stadium
• Safety & Security Improvements
• Louis L’Amour Addition/Renovations
• Middle School Renovations
• Gussner/Lincoln/Roosevelt Renovations
• Final Completion Fall, 2021

Q: When and where will voting take place?

Voting will take place on September 25, 2018 from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Jamestown Civic Center, 212 3^rd Ave NE.

Will early voting and absentee ballots be available?

Early voting will take place Monday – Friday, September 10-21 at the Stutsman County Court House, between the hours of 8:00am – 5:00pm.

Absentee voting applications can be obtained by visiting http://www.co.stutsman.nd.us/election.htmlor by calling the county auditor at 701.252.9035 or in person at the county auditors office. Absentee ballots are due by 4:00 p.m., September 24, 2018 or postmarked no later than 11:59 p.m., September 24, 2018.

Q: Who is eligible to vote?

To vote in the election, you must be:

·         A US citizen

·         At least 18 years old on Election Day

·         A legal resident of the Jamestown Public School District for at least 30 days

·         preceding the election.

·         Valid identification will be required and could include a driver’s license, non-driver’s

o   identification card, tribal government issued identification card, or student

o   identification certificate.

Q: How can I find out more information? How can I get involved?

1) Communication Committee Members

• Adam Gehlhar
• Amy Walters
• Carrie Orn
• Kelly Bauer
• Michelle Solensky
• Laurie Kramer
• Mari Stillwell
• Mindi Schmitz
• Phyllis Clemens
• Ryan Harty
• Sedric Trevithick

2) Citizens Advisory Committee Members

• Kelly Bauer, Teacher
• Phyllis Clemens, Principal
• Candace Dempsey, Community Member
• Travis Dillman, Community Member
• Adam Gehlhar, Principal
• Ryan Harty, Principal
• Laurie Kramer, Community Member
• Robert Lech, Superintendent
• Cody Mickelson, Teacher
• Carrie Orn, Community Member
• Sally Ost, Business Manager
• Mindi Schmitz, Community Member
• Michelle Solensky, Community Member
• Mari Stilwell, Instructional Coach
• Harley Trefz, Community Member
• Sedric Trevithick, Community Member
• Ron Truax, Community Member
• Dan Tweten, Community Member
• Larry Ukestad, Community Member
• Steve Veldkamp, Board Member
• Amy Walters, Community Member
• Laura Weis, Teacher

3) School Board Members

• President:  Roger Haut (roger.haut@k12.nd.us)
• Vice President: Heidi Larson (heidi.larson@k12.nd.us)

Directors:

• Greg Allen (greg.allen@k12.nd.us)
• Melissa Gleason (melissa.gleason@k12.nd.us)
• Diane Hanson (diane.hanson@k12.nd.us)
• Jason Rohr (jason.rohr@k12.nd.us)
• Jennifer Schmidt (jennifer.schmidt@k12.nd.us)
• Bob Toso (robert.toso@k12.nd.us)
• Steve Veldkamp (steve.veldkamp@k12.nd.us)

4) Superintendent:

• Dr. Robert Lech – office (701) 252-1950, email robert.lech@k12.nd.us 

5) District website:

• https://www.jamestown.k12.nd.us/boe/referendum-2018/index