Volunteers To Visit Neighborhoods In Support Of WCS Building Project
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The proposed project includes building a new Lincoln Elementary School and renovating Edgewood Middle School and Washington STEM Academy.
Anyone who wants to help deliver and place signs in yards Saturday can stop by the Chamber of Commerce building, 523 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, by 9 a.m. Doughnuts and coffee will be available for volunteers.
The signs say, “Building Our Future, Vote Yes!” The Friends of Warsaw Community Schools website address also is on the top of the sign.
WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said the volunteers Saturday will be delivering signs requested by homeowners to put in their yards. The last time he saw a number, Hoffert said more than 1,000 people requested signs.
Signs will be placed all over the WCS district, including Warsaw, Atwood, Claypool, Leesburg, Winona Lake and Silver Lake, he said.
Friends of WCS Chairman Jeff Plank said not all of the campaign volunteers are parents of kids in school.
“A campaign is unfolding – privately funded and driven by many enthusiastic volunteers of all ages and walks of life, all fueled by four overriding beliefs,” Plank said. “They believe more often than not, each of us lives in this kind of community we deserve, the kind of a place we take the time and give of ourselves to protect, create and preserve. They have a real heart for our kids, a strong sense of ownership in their educational preparedness. For sooner than we think, our world will be driven by the product we produce – even here. They believe a school building, full of great teachers and kids, should not be allowed to handicap teaching, learning and the security of our children. They believe that here in our place, we take care of our own.”
Hoffert said the biggest fear is that people won’t go out and vote on election day May 5. “We’re just encouraging everyone to come out and vote,” he said.
Plank said, “The shortest road to defeat in any election is the assumption of victory.”
The election is not over until 6 p.m. May 5, he said.
“The minute people start assuming, then they display less significance for their own vote, and there’s no such thing as too many votes,” Plank said.
The campaign committee is encouraging voters to vote early, he said.
Early voting starts April 20 and ends at noon May 4 at the Justice Building, downtown Warsaw, Plank said. Early voting is available 8 to 11 a.m. and noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
“Our kids can’t vote. We have to vote for them and every vote is needed. Saturday voting is especially ideal for registered college students home for the weekend,” Plank said.
In 2008, state law changed requiring school building projects to be put to a referendum. It was part of a larger reform of Indiana’s property tax laws. The law says voters have to approve building projects worth $12 million or more via referendum if new property taxes are needed to pay for them. It also allows that for projects of $2 million to $12 million, residents can force a referendum through a remonstrance.
This is the first time WCS has proposed building anything since the law took effect, so this is its first referendum. It’s the first time voters in the Warsaw School Corporation will be asked – on the May primary ballot – if the district should be allowed to raise their property taxes.
The referendum question on the ballot will ask, “Shall Warsaw Community Schools issue bonds or enter into a lease to finance the construction of a replacement of Lincoln Elementary School and the renovation of and improvements to the Washington Elementary School and Edgewood Middle School, which is estimated to cost not more than $39,900,000 and is estimated to increase the property tax rate for debt service by a maximum of $0.138 per $100 of assessed valuation over the 20 year life of the bonds?”
On Jan. 26, the WCS school board determined to go forward with the project. The lease will be for a maximum term of 22 years, with a maximum annual lease rental of $3.415 million. The maximum annual lease rental was figured based on an estimated principal amount of bonds of $39.9 million; estimated interest rates ranging from 3.35 percent to 5.45 percent; and total estimated interest costs of $24,348,690, according to the legal description published Jan. 27.
Plank said that signs are still available if people want to put them in their yard. Requests for the signs can be made through the Friends of Warsaw Community Schools website.
“If someone wants a sign on election day, we’ll get it to them, if we have any left,” he said.
For more information on Friends of Warsaw Community Schools, visit its website at www.supportwcs.com or its Facebook page at Friends of Warsaw Schools.
A digital brochure on WCS and the building project is available on the website.[[In-content Ad]]
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The proposed project includes building a new Lincoln Elementary School and renovating Edgewood Middle School and Washington STEM Academy.
Anyone who wants to help deliver and place signs in yards Saturday can stop by the Chamber of Commerce building, 523 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, by 9 a.m. Doughnuts and coffee will be available for volunteers.
The signs say, “Building Our Future, Vote Yes!” The Friends of Warsaw Community Schools website address also is on the top of the sign.
WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said the volunteers Saturday will be delivering signs requested by homeowners to put in their yards. The last time he saw a number, Hoffert said more than 1,000 people requested signs.
Signs will be placed all over the WCS district, including Warsaw, Atwood, Claypool, Leesburg, Winona Lake and Silver Lake, he said.
Friends of WCS Chairman Jeff Plank said not all of the campaign volunteers are parents of kids in school.
“A campaign is unfolding – privately funded and driven by many enthusiastic volunteers of all ages and walks of life, all fueled by four overriding beliefs,” Plank said. “They believe more often than not, each of us lives in this kind of community we deserve, the kind of a place we take the time and give of ourselves to protect, create and preserve. They have a real heart for our kids, a strong sense of ownership in their educational preparedness. For sooner than we think, our world will be driven by the product we produce – even here. They believe a school building, full of great teachers and kids, should not be allowed to handicap teaching, learning and the security of our children. They believe that here in our place, we take care of our own.”
Hoffert said the biggest fear is that people won’t go out and vote on election day May 5. “We’re just encouraging everyone to come out and vote,” he said.
Plank said, “The shortest road to defeat in any election is the assumption of victory.”
The election is not over until 6 p.m. May 5, he said.
“The minute people start assuming, then they display less significance for their own vote, and there’s no such thing as too many votes,” Plank said.
The campaign committee is encouraging voters to vote early, he said.
Early voting starts April 20 and ends at noon May 4 at the Justice Building, downtown Warsaw, Plank said. Early voting is available 8 to 11 a.m. and noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
“Our kids can’t vote. We have to vote for them and every vote is needed. Saturday voting is especially ideal for registered college students home for the weekend,” Plank said.
In 2008, state law changed requiring school building projects to be put to a referendum. It was part of a larger reform of Indiana’s property tax laws. The law says voters have to approve building projects worth $12 million or more via referendum if new property taxes are needed to pay for them. It also allows that for projects of $2 million to $12 million, residents can force a referendum through a remonstrance.
This is the first time WCS has proposed building anything since the law took effect, so this is its first referendum. It’s the first time voters in the Warsaw School Corporation will be asked – on the May primary ballot – if the district should be allowed to raise their property taxes.
The referendum question on the ballot will ask, “Shall Warsaw Community Schools issue bonds or enter into a lease to finance the construction of a replacement of Lincoln Elementary School and the renovation of and improvements to the Washington Elementary School and Edgewood Middle School, which is estimated to cost not more than $39,900,000 and is estimated to increase the property tax rate for debt service by a maximum of $0.138 per $100 of assessed valuation over the 20 year life of the bonds?”
On Jan. 26, the WCS school board determined to go forward with the project. The lease will be for a maximum term of 22 years, with a maximum annual lease rental of $3.415 million. The maximum annual lease rental was figured based on an estimated principal amount of bonds of $39.9 million; estimated interest rates ranging from 3.35 percent to 5.45 percent; and total estimated interest costs of $24,348,690, according to the legal description published Jan. 27.
Plank said that signs are still available if people want to put them in their yard. Requests for the signs can be made through the Friends of Warsaw Community Schools website.
“If someone wants a sign on election day, we’ll get it to them, if we have any left,” he said.
For more information on Friends of Warsaw Community Schools, visit its website at www.supportwcs.com or its Facebook page at Friends of Warsaw Schools.
A digital brochure on WCS and the building project is available on the website.[[In-content Ad]]
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