The Bond Issue Passed, Now What?
YEAH! It passed!! Thank you for your support of the Hilldale School District with the new bond funds coming our way!! I would like to take a moment to explain the process of these expenditures moving forward.
GETTING THE BUCKS
It’s a process. The bond election was October 10 for $15 milllion. We will probably have the first ($1.4million) in February or March. This is due to the legal and financial requirements that must be followed. During that time, we will also be getting paperwork in place for a “lease purchase” for the remaining $13.6 million. This money is then “drawn down” as we need to pay bills related to our projects. Our bond consultant will continue to stay on top of all of the paperwork for us to actually get money!
TEXTBOOKS
Each year, the State Department of Education recognizes one core area of curriculum for textbook adoption. Reading and math textbook adoption tend to be the most expensive, therefore we’ve struggled to buy them in the past. This year is math. The State will determine which textbooks are compliant with the Oklahoma Academic Standards, which we must teach. Then those companies provide informational meetings for our teachers to attend to determine which textbook our district chooses to purchase. We must follow this process to insure that our books have the correct standards for our students. We will order new math (and other needed) books as the state and our staff have reviewed them for compliance with standards. Note that our last massive purchase was reading and was over $250,000.
TECHNOLOGY
Largely through grants we’ve received, we have added nearly $500,000 of student tablets, Chrome books or iPads, in the last few years. We have many classroom devices, especially Smart Boards, which are over ten years old. Our technology department is updating our inventory to determine which devices are most pressing and prioritize what must be replaced. We will begin the process in the coming months, when bond funds are available, to purchase and install new classroom equipment. Much of this will likely occur during the summer, to avoid disruption in the classrooms. The exception would be if current equipment dies and we need to replace it asap.
FACILITIES
We’ve already met with the architect! And will have on-going meetings to keep the process moving. What you’ve seen through the bond proposal process are basic renditions of buildings. Now the architects begin doing the actual plans, with all of the details for plumbing, electrical, etc. We must closely follow the Oklahoma Competitive Bid law. Bids go out after the required paperwork and timelines are met. So to give you a rough estimate, this typically takes 4-6 months total. We are very involved in every step of construction, to stretch dollars as much as we can. At best, we will have actual construction being in March-April. Each project must also be reviewed to see how to have the least negative impact on students at school. PLEASE do remember that construction is not convenient! We will have dirt and blocked pathways and classrooms compacted down to fit during this time! But remember what we will be getting!!
Please know that you are welcome to call or email me with questions. We will push to progress as soon as we can, while insuring quality at every step! Thank you for entrusting us with your children and your funds!!
Dr. Kaylin Coody
Superintendent
