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Cost to Avoid Total Year-Round Conversion: Four Cents

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The cost difference between building mainly new schools and converting all existing elementary and middle schools to a multi-track year-round calendar: four cents.

The school board and county commissioners discussed the tax rate implications of sample building program scenarios through 2010 at a joint work session yesterday. The meeting is part of a long, on-going process to determine the best way to provide much-needed classroom seats in a school system that is expected to gain 40,000 students in the next five years, and the financial impact on the community.

In costing out three scenarios, county officials said building mainly new schools would require a property tax increase of 11.1 cents for capital and operating the facilities, whereas converting all existing elementary and middle schools to a multi-track year-round calendar would require a 7.2-cent increase. Basically, it comes down to: Is it worth $75 a year to go year-round?

Bond Amount

Tax Rate Increase for Capital

Tax Rate Increase for Operating the Facilities

Total Tax Rate Increase - Impact of Scenarios for Capital Programs

Total Annual Tax Increase on Median House in Wake ($175,000)

Scenario A

$1.705 billion

7.9 cents

3.2 cents

11.1 cents

$200/year

Scenario B

$1.563 billion

6.5 cents

3.1 cents

9.6 cents

$168/year

Scenario C

$1.225 billion

3.4 cents

3.8 cents

7.2 cents

$126/year

Scenario A costs $1.975 billion and includes:

  • Build 28 new schools (19 elementary, 6 middle and 3 high), with them opening on a mix of traditional and multi-track year-round calendars.
  • Convert 10 existing elementary schools and 4 middle schools to year-round.
  • Address renovation needs deferred from earlier building program proposals and all life-cycle maintenance needs.
  • Provide recommended support facilities, technology infrastructure, and facility assessments and start-up funding for future projects.

Scenario B costs $1.797 billion and includes:

  • Build 22 new schools (14 elementary, 5 middle and 3 high), with all elementary and middle schools opening on the year-round calendar.
  • Convert 7 existing elementary schools and 4 middle schools to year-round.
  • Address renovation needs deferred from earlier building program proposals and all life-cycle maintenance needs.
  • Provide recommended support facilities, technology infrastructure, and facility assessments and start-up funding for future projects.

Scenario C costs $1.375 billion and includes:

  • Build 9 new schools (5 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high), with all elementary and middle schools opening on the year-round calendar.
  • Convert all existing traditional calendar elementary and middle schools to multi-track year-round calendars.
  • Address renovation needs deferred from earlier building program proposals and all life-cycle maintenance needs.
  • Provide recommended support facilities, technology infrastructure, and facility assessments and start-up funding for future projects.

No matter which scenario the school system ends up with, WCPSS will have to convert some existing schools to year-round and open ninth-grade centers in 2007-08 to manage growth.

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce will use the scenarios to poll voters, which will help the school board and county commissioners as they continue planning for a November 2006 school construction bond referendum.

Posted by Kristin Flenniken at 11:29 AM on February 16, 2006 | Leave Feedback

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