Five fast facts about the bond referendum from Rochester Public Schools

Rochester residents will be asked Tuesday to decide on a pair of referendum questions, including one that, if passed, would provide funding for a pair of new schools.

The $180.9 million referendum request, approved by the Rochester School Board in March, comes as the city’s public elementary and middle schools are, by all accounts, bursting at the seams. In the last five years alone, enrollment in the district has increased by more than 1,000 students. As a result, middle schools have reached 99 percent capacity, according to data from the district. Elementary schools are at 98 percent capacity.

Ahead of Tuesday’s pivotal vote, we broke down some of the key details about the referendum, not all of which are related to the need for space. Here are five fast facts to help you make an informed decision.

There are two questions on the ballot.

With $171.4 million on the line, the first question has the most riding on it. Included in that question are the two big-money items, a new elementary school and a new middle school. The ballot measure also asks for other high-priority needs, such as reconstructing Bishop and Longfellow elementary schools, upgrading all of the high school auditoriums, and investing about $7 million toward school security measures. 

The second question, contingent on the first one passing, asks for an investment of $9.5 million. The money would go toward new and renovated swimming facilities at two local high schools. In addition to building a competition-ready pool at Century High School, the district also wants to bring the pool at Mayo High School up to higher standards. As part of the plan, middle school pools would be closed and re-purposed to save money.

The site of a new middle school is not set in stone.

For a new elementary school, the district has a seemingly simple solution. It would rely on land the district and city already own — an area known as Schmidt Park, just south of Overland Drive Northwest.

For a new middle school, however, the plans are a bit more complicated.

The district has entered into a purchase agreement (contingent on the referendum passing) for land in southwest Rochester, where it says the need for a middle school is the greatest. But the site has drawn scrutiny from city officials who say the sprawling farm terrain does not align with its strategic long-term growth.

What is important to note, though, is that approval of the referendum does not firmly tie the district to the development of that specific site, known as Hart Farm. Discussions between the city and district would need to continue. 

School officials say the goal is for both the elementary and middle schools to be open by fall 2022.

Safety measures are included in the referendum.

The district wants to allocate approximately $7 million of the referendum for safety and security features. That cost is included in the first question on the ballot. 

According to the district, main entrances would be redesigned district-wide “to better monitor and control visitor access.” Currently, half of the district’s schools do not have a secure entrance.

As part of the increased security measures, the district would also update the schools’ door locking system to allow for remote monitoring of all access points. Emergency alarm systems would, too, be replaced to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) code requirements.

This is different than the previous referendum.

In 2015, voters narrowly approved a referendum from Rochester Public Schools to increase the local levy from $309 per student to the state average of $837 per student. So, why another request this year?

School officials note that the 2015 measure was what’s called a ‘levy’ referendum. This year’s measure, on the other hand, is a ‘bond’ referendum.

While levy referendums provide funding for regular operating expenses — such as teachers and school supplies — this year’s ballot questions are bond requests. Unlike levies, bonds ask for a lump sum of money, meaning the dollar value cannot go up or down.

For this year’s referendum, the district estimates the tax impact on a $200,000 home will be $42 annually for question one and $6 annually for question two. The lifespan of the bond will be 20 years.

Boundaries will change if the referendum passes.

If the referendum passes, the district does plan to adjust the boundaries for the 2022-23 school year, which is when the new elementary and middle schools would open.

A Facilities Task Force assembled by the district had previously recommended new boundaries in 2018, though school officials emphasize those are not final drawings. In an editorial submitted to the Post-Bulletin, Superintendent Michael Muñoz said the district would re-engage families during the summer/fall of 2020 in effort to to gain additional input.

“The district's goal is to provide a recommendation on boundary changes to the school board in September 2021, which would be one year in advance of the boundary changes taking effect in September 2022,” said Muñoz.

If the referendum fails, Muñoz said the district will “likely make boundary adjustments for a temporary solution.”

The referendum will be on the ballot this Tuesday, November 5. For additional information, you can visit the school district’s website.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.