Published: November 06, 2009 11:42 am      

DPS presents new bond issue to community

DUNCAN — In what has been going on an 18-month process for Duncan Public Schools, superintendent Sherry Labyer presented Duncan community with the DPS’ 20/20 vision plan.

The master plan was adopted by the Duncan school board in June of 2009. One of the biggest topics of the new master plan is to unite the different elementary school locations into one central location with three separate buildings.

“What will happen with these new campuses is that we will be able to give these children a step in the right direction,” Labyer said. “We want the best for our students not the bare minimum and we feel we can give it to them with this plan.”

One major concern for the building of a new elementary facility is the cost. According to building architect Ron Bailey of PBK Architecture in Houston, Texas, Duncan Public Schools will actually be saving money with the energy costs decreasing around $40,000 per year.

“By giving these buildings more energy efficient electrical systems and more efficient air conditioning systems, Duncan schools will be saving money,” Bailey said.

Another factor in the saving of money is that the cost of construction has dropped significantly.

The solution for the cost of the new facility is by receiving government money. Labyer said that in April 2010 she will be applying for a state Lease Revenue Fund to help pay for the buildings.

What the Lease Revenue Fund will accomplish is that a government authority will issue money to pay for the construction of the buildings. After the building has been finished the government will lease the building to the schools, and the schools will make payments in increments until the building has been paid off. With this lease revenue bond the buildings should be paid off in around a 14 year period.

According to Labyer one factor to having this plan for the new facility is that the current elementary buildings have become too old and too costly to keep maintained.

“Some of these buildings have been here for over 60 years and fixing these buildings would cost more than we would want to spend,” Labyer said. “The building and electrical codes were not what they are today. So, the wiring, and construction, and for that matter could be unsafe for our students.”

Another way that the new buildings will save money is the saving of teaching jobs. One Duncan citizen’s concern was that by creating these new buildings, there would be layoffs to the teachers.

“The elementary classes will keep the teachers that we have on staff currently,” Labyer said. “We will be reducing the class sizes, but we will be having around 600 to 700 students per building.”

According to Labyer the Kindergarten - first-grade building will have 600, The second - third grade will have 650-700, and the fourth - fifth grade will have around 700 students.

Along with the new elementary buildings the new master plan will have new improvements to the high school and the athletic facilities.

“All of the improvements that we are going to be making is just helping us compete with other schools around the nation,” Labyer said. “Excellence costs money and we just have to spend it.”