Reply to Are you voting yes or no on the APS school bond?

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[quote=Anonymous]Voting no for the following reasons and more:

1.	[b]Cost of Career Center (CC) is understated and takes crucial dollars away from neglected school facilities and infrastructure (Clean Air)[/b]. This project makes up approximately $135 million of this bond and takes up nearly half of the 10-year APS CIP. New cost projections are out with the preferred option now at $182 million. With dollars already spent, costs will easily surpass $200 million. With so many other needs across the system, this project essentially shuts down any opportunity to address needs known and unknown.
2.	[b]There is currently more than $59 million in reserves and previous bond funding that could address security and cafeteria projects in the short-term[/b]. The 2022 bond includes approximately $16 million or so for security vestibules and school cafeterias along with another $16 million for infrastructure (see June 23 APS CIP presentation). The $16 million allocated for security/cafeteria projects accounts for a little more than a third of what these projects will cost or $44 million (June CIP presentation). The rest is being funded by reserve dollars, previous bond funding, and future bonds. There is also another $37 million in previous bond funding allocated to the CC, a portion of which could be used to fund these vital projects.
3.	[b]The statement that all three comprehensive high schools are modernized and addressed is very misleading.[/b]  This issue was discussed briefly during the October 13th board meeting. Although it is true, that the facilities have been renovated, none of them were updated to similar specifications as the CC including space. One board member brought up the fact that Wakefield did not add any new educational space yet has gained 700 students and now sits at 2,300 students. The facility was renovated for 1,600 students in mind, meaning kids are packed into crowded classrooms, some without desks or hallways or whatever space teachers and administrators can find. Comparing a school like Wakefield to a capped enrollment program at the CC with huge classrooms including outdoor spaces and more (that make-up the CC project), is disingenuous and misleading.
4.	 [b]When it comes time to pay for these bonds, those dollars compete with critical operational funds.[/b] The more APS spends on these projects, the less will be available for essential operational funds that pay for teacher salary increases, benefits for extended day staff, bus drivers and more. A project like the CC, that will cost more than $200 million in past and new bond funding will only make this issue worse. There are other alternatives than a $200 million project including a small-scale addition/renovation, moving to a new space altogether and working with the private sector to develop an even better offering. 
5.	[b]The latest round of the Career Center project was not transparent, and the project has taken a complete 180 from what was envisioned originally.[/b] These concerns have not received enough attention. The latest CC-BLPC was basically forced through over the last 5-6 months with frequent meetings and little time to gather input from the community. It was primarily conducted during the summer when many were not even around. The new version added in a middle school option that was never part of the discussion previously and the previous idea of renovating the exiting CC building was scrapped. Again, these decisions were made with zero input from the community as these new ideas were presented to the BLPC who were told to now only focus on these new assumptions. Again, this is not transparent or inclusive.   
6.	[b]The bond does not improve facilities for our most vulnerable kids[/b]. This is a concern I very much share as the majority of the new CC seats will be focused on Arlington Tech or as one of the BLPC leads referred to at the Oct. 13th board meeting, the future leaders, scientists, researchers, etc. that will solve the world’s problems. What about those kids that have experienced the most learning loss? Shouldn’t we be all in on making better spaces for these populations that need the most help? We continue to focus on the privileged who will primarily benefit from this bond and the CC project. 
7.	[b]The bond is not reflective of a true Master Plan that is woefully needed by APS.[/b] A few folks have brought this up and a master plan is essential for a school system the size of APS. Without it, you truly don’t understand the need of when to replace facilities or infrastructure and it can result in very poor decision-making. APS is currently suffering from this now, with under enrollment occurring at N. Arlington schools, including those recently built.
8.	[b]Higher interest rates, continuing inflation and an uncertain economic future, all point to this being a terrible time to invest so much in one project[/b]. Higher interest rates will squeeze operational funds even more. This will all come to be if this bond is funded.

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