Gazebo Gazette
Long Beach School District will hold a vote for all residents of their school district from 7am until 7pm.
The District needs 60% of the vote to take this $20 million bond out to renovate the high school. Due to the high school construction in the 1950s, there are an overwhelming amount of improvements needed. Below, I have a list of questions for each voter’s assistance.
*WHO CAN VOTE FOR THE REFERENDUM? – ALL citizens in the Long Beach School District.
*WHO WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE? – ALL residents of the Long Beach School District.
*WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF THE BOND? – The proposed amount fo the bond is $20 million.
*WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF TAX INCREASE? – For a home valued at $200,000, the approximate increase will be $250 per year. For residents 65+, the increase will be only $35 per year.
*WHEN WILL THE PROJECT BEGIN IF PASSED? – The project is slated to begin in spring 2019.
*WHERE WILL THE HIGH SCHOOL BE LOCATED? – The high school will remain in its location between Cleveland Avenue & Old Pass Road.
*WHY IS THIS PROJECT NEEDED? – The high school was built in the 1950s and many buildings within the school were constructed before 1980. – The outdated facilities pose many concerns, which will be addressed at the renovation, including: ^SAFETY & SECURITY ^TECHNOLOGY & EFFICIENCY ^FACILITIES & FEATURES.
If the bond passes, the District will issue a request for qualifications for both architectural/engineering services and construction administration services in accordance with all state laws. Once all qualifications are submitted and evaluated, a contract will be negotiated for the services. There will be inspections and quality assurance checks made during the entire project. There will be a construction manager that will be responsible for approving all work before payment is made.
There will be a formal bid process that will help to eliminate any potential nepotism and keep the process transparent
