More NCS construction = Higher taxes?

As Newark City School District continues improvement on its buildings I’ve long wondered whether debts being accrued may lead to higher property taxes.

Since 2004, when the issuance of $70 million in bonds was approved by voters for school construction, NCS has been hip-high in modernizing its facilities. An Advocate summary of the projects encompassed by this massive expenditure, as of last summer, is reprinted here.

Still to be undertaken is the most expensive ($39 million) element on the list: The restructuring of the high school campus, creating connected buildings and the demolition of Buildings C, D, E, and H, according to the Advocate report.

It seemed to me that, should the community elect to stop these building projects, lower tax bills would result from less money being spent for debt reduction. Further, I questioned whether the $70 million in bonds approved by voters in 2004 would cover inflationary costs.

I also wondered who dreamed up the plan for tearing down most of the buildings on high school campus and replacing them with structures never clearly explained nor debated, and over which - when it sinks into the community mentality - there might be a lot of dissatisfaction. Among the featured advantages of living in Newark - for decades - has been its beautiful high school campus. So who came up with this plan and why?

I queried Jeffrey Anderson, NCS treasurer, by e-mail. His reply was immediate and thorough. In summary, he said that curtailing these construction projects would not lower local property taxes, that the school building projects were designed according to state formulas and standards, that the school district is legally obligated to complete all the projects.

Most of the text of his email is at this link, followed by a note from NCS Board Member Tom Bline regarding the planning process for changes to the Newark High School Campus.