BFA Fairfax Middle/High School Bond Project

[Franklin West SU]

Have you heard about the proposed BFA Middle/High School Renovation/Expansion Project? A new info website has just been published and posters will be going up around town next week. Please learn more about this revitalization project.

SAVE THE DATES:
- Fairfax Bond Vote on October 10, 2017
- First (of many) Informational Meeting on July 27 at 6pm

All of the details and information can be found at http://bfafuture.weebly.com/

[mkr]

This is from the link provided. Please go to the link to see all the details as I just parsed some out.

What will this mean for my taxes?

Taxes will increase. However, it is important to remember that Vermont schools are funded by education taxes paid into a common statewide system by all taxpayers in Vermont.  Those with fixed incomes and combined earning below $141,000 are eligible for a property tax adjustment. The net effect is that this group of taxpayers are assessed at lower rate, which is known as the income sensitivity provisions. The number of households in Fairfax that are income sensitive is 65%. Which means that much of the costs of the project will be shared with other towns in Vermont. Just as the citizens of Fairfax support projects occurring in other schools throughout Vermont.
​
The tax impact, if we were to incur this debt in FY18,  is estimated to be between 11.56-13.38 cents. We cannot project what the impact would be in FY20 because the legislation governing education finance may change.
With a 30 year bond at the highest anticipated interest rate, the cost per pupil calculated on the FY18 budget plus the estimated additional debt expenses would still remain below the FY17 state average per pupil.

The potential impact of the additional debt services on the FY18 budget would be between a 7.12-8.24% increase. 


*** Here is my 2 Cents Below ***
That is a BIG increase. I know of no one around here who got a raise even near that amount.  People are struggling as it is. Some folks who don't get the property tax adjustment may not be able to handle the extra.


I was at the Merger meetings and they wanted to take our kids out of 29 program options in our Essex and Burlington Tech schools to NW Tech with 10 programs, no pre-tech, and a Cosmetology program the kids have to do a third year in Essex (Essex completes in two years) to save money and now they want this?
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What are they doing:
Renovation Project Highlights
Renovation Project Highlights

What does this renovation plan include?

Restore Main Entrance/Visitor Access to Historic Location (current Middle School entrance)
Increase Safety and Security of building
​Install Fire Safety Sprinkler System in Middle/High School
​Accessibility Upgrades for ADA Compliance
Update School/Community Library
Relocate and Centralize Administration and Guidance Offices to the Front of the Building
Expand Visitor Parking Lot at New Main Entrance
Construct New 400-Seat School Auditorium/Performing Arts Center with Separate Entrance
Construct a New Middle School Gymnasium with Separate Entrance
Redesign Cafeteria with Courtyard and Patio
Update Multipurpose Room, Media Center, Driver's Ed, and High School Resource Rooms
Renovate Middle and High School Bathrooms and Locker Room
Modernize Science/STEM/Innovation Labs in Middle/High School
Create New Art Room Adjacent to Auditorium/Performing Arts Center
New Roof on Middle/High School and Add Reinforcements
Repave Existing Parking Lots
Replace Water Main
Install New Flooring

***** MY 2 Cents******
The Auditorium/Performing Arts Center and a Gym built for the middle school, and new art room is where I personally say Cool, but $$ tells me maybe we spread that out down the road so folks can afford the maintenance needs.  These two are not maintenance but Additions.

I also think if the % increase wasn't so much you would have more folks on board from the get go.

[dvallett]

I tried to send these to the email shown on the web site but it bounced back twice. Maybe a school board member can answer them here.

* Regarding future school growth ... is there data showing Elementary population growth is expected to continue? What about numbers supporting the "continued school growth in the next 25 years" claim?

* Besides targeting potential growth is this renovation also an attempt to 'compete' for tuition-paying HS students? 

* What school programs have been impacted by the lack of an auditorium and what was the impact?

* As for more space for community use, what is the present and future community demand for meeting or performance space that is not already met by current school/library/town hall/Fire Hall/Baptist Bldg. facilities?

* Are additional costs for upkeep, maintenance. energy, etc. due to the added space factored into the estimate?

Thanks,

Dave Vallett

[Scott Mitchell]

Dave, thank you for bringing the contact issue on the website to our attention, this has now been resolved.

In answer to your questions;

* Regarding future school growth ... is there data showing Elementary population growth is expected to continue? What about numbers supporting the "continued school growth in the next 25 years" claim?
•   Since the last U.S. Census in 2010, Vermont’s population has declined by 1,400 people. Only four counties in Vermont — Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Lamoille — experienced population growth over that period.
•   The greater Burlington area, essentially Chittenden County and parts of Franklin County, was the only area of the state that saw any widespread population growth. 
•   The fastest growing areas around Burlington are the close-in suburbs including South Burlington, Essex, and Williston and also Milton, Fairfax, Georgia, and St. Albans Town.
•   The fast growing towns are, in general, north of Burlington (Milton, Fairfax, Georgia, and St. Albans Town) with easy access to I-89
      o      Art Wolfe - associate professor of economics at the University of Vermont.  (BFP 6/1/17)
      o      http://www.vtgrandpa.com/forum/index.php?topic=20188.msg52409#msg52409
•   High School population should see modest growth over the next 10 years. K class is the largest in the school next year.

* Besides targeting potential growth is this renovation also an attempt to 'compete' for tuition-paying HS Students?                                                                                                                                                                                                             I do not like the word “compete” when it comes to the education of our students as the money that we receive and tax assessments come from the state and there is a mandate to provide equity across the school system.  We are looking to attract more students from sending districts by updating our facilities.  We have also been expanding our program offerings to better meet the needs of our current student population.

* What school programs have been impacted by the lack of an auditorium and what was the impact?
•    BFA  and local communities have very active dramatic arts programs.  Their primary rehearsal and performance spaces are currently our HS and MS gymnasiums.  Unfortunately, whenever the ensembles need to have rehearsals and performances,
        they are displacing school classes and other groups that would be using the gymnasiums.  The addition of a new performing arts center would allow for unlimited access for these performance groups, without impacting classes or other aspects of the use
        schedule. 
•   Our current HS Band and Chorus programs have roughly 25 students.  However, we have seen an increase in participation in the MS Band and Chorus programs whose participation triples the number of the High School.  With the immense growth of our music
        programs in recent years, the new performing arts center would provide a space designed for performance. 
•   It would also allow assemblies to be held during the school day, without causing the displacement of classes that would typically be using the High School gymnasium during that time. 
•   The current performing spaces were designed for sporting events and not performances.  This provides a challenge acoustically when these spaces are used for Concerts or Theatrical performances. 

* As for more space for community use, what is the present and future community demand for meeting or performance space that is not already met by current school/library/town hall/Fire Hall/Baptist Bldg. facilities?
•   Our three current gymnasium spaces, as well as the multipurpose/lunch room, are used essentially non-stop both during the school day, after school hours, and on weekends.  Especially during the winter, space is at a premium.  On a typical winter season day,
        our facilities are in use from 3pm until at least 9pm every day.  With school organizations taking priority, this minimizes the ability for community programs such as youth basketball, indoor soccer, boot camp, zumba, yoga, etc. to have ample practice space and
        time. 
•   BFA Fairfax has its largest number of co-curricular programs in school history, with anywhere from 65 to 80 percent of our school population participating in at least one co-curricular club, sport, or activity over the course of the school year. 
•   Likewise, the number of programs being offered within our local community through the recreation department and other community organizations continues to grow.  Although the increased participation numbers are wonderful, challenges are created in the
        availability of ample practice, rehearsal, and meeting space for all the active teams, groups, and organizations.
•   In order to meet the community needs as best we can, we often have to limit the amount of practice time, or increasingly more often, have our school teams NOT practice on certain days to allow use for the community. 
•   With new gym space, the various community groups and organizations would be able to have multiple, even daily, practice/meeting times.  However, currently those groups are limited to one or two times per week, and most often not at ideal times (for
        instance, children's recreational basketball programs practicing well past the dinner hour into the late evening).
•   Even though the new building plan maintains the number of gymnasiums at 3, the new middle school gymnasium to be built will offer separate community access.  One of the biggest challenges is that our facilities are not accessible on Saturday nights and
        Sundays.  This new gymnasium would allow access on nights and weekends, which would enable community organizations to receive the amount of time and space that they need, without impacting the use of school groups. 

* Are additional costs for upkeep, maintenance. energy, etc. due to the added space factored into the estimate?                                                                                                                                                                         
The upkeep is not factored into the estimated percentage increase, as this is only for the Bond.  The Facilities budget will increase, as it does most years.  However, with the improvements being made in other parts of the building to increase efficiency, as part of the Bond, we believe the impact to the facilities budget will be negligible. 

Thank you for your questions
Scott Mitchell