Bond election not likely to happen in September

Last year, discussion of the Newton Community School District’s annual budget went on for more than an hour at a regular meeting.

Monday night, the board had fewer than five minutes of discussion about the 2015-16 budget — and only needed about an hour and a half for the entire meeting.

In fact, the board spent more time discussing the timing of an upcoming general bond issue vote than it did on the budget, which contains almost $39 million in expenditures. Setting a date for a public bond issue election to rebuild the aging Berg Complex, which was only on Monday’s agenda as a discussion item, was talked about at length.

The consensus is it would be very difficult to conduct all the steps needed to vote on a bond during the Sept. 4 regular school board election. The next possible date the board could bring a multi-million-dollar bond to Newton voters would be Feb. 2, 2016, and while some board members were reluctant to agree to wait until that time, no one strongly pushed for the Sept. 4 date as viable, strong possibility.

Conceptual drawings and public forums would take about three months, and ballot language would need to be completed by law by the July 13 board meeting, said NCSD Business Director Gayle Isaac. He called that cycle “very aggressive.”

Superintendent Bob Callaghan called the Sept. 4 election cycle “unwise,” and pointed out a 60 percent approval is needed from the public in order to pass the bond. If the bond doesn’t pass, the board must wait at least six months before returning to voters for another bond election.

Board president Sheri Benson said she didn’t think it was realistic to get the FRK design firm involved, present conceptual drawings to the public and get ballot language together by July.

Board member Robyn Friedman said she thought the January vote to pursue a Berg rebuild would have set actions like conceptual-drawing completion into motion at that time. While the board was holding dialogue on reconfiguration in February and March, which resulted in putting grades 5-8 in the future Berg Complex, she wondered why conceptual drawings couldn’t be completed while reconfiguration was being discussed.

Callaghan replied that his conversations with Dave Briden of FRK indicated Briden wanted to know “what type of school we want him to build,” or what grade levels will be using a rebuilt Berg Complex.

Board member Nat Clark said he doesn’t think the board would have gotten any public education done in the past three months, regarding how the board intends to proceed with Berg.

When asked after the meeting if he is disappointed that the Berg process appears that it won’t result in a vote until February of next year, board member Andy Elbert said no. However, he also said the complex requires board action.

“I’m just eager to proceed,” Elbert said. “I’m ready to move forward and help provide a new facility at Berg.”

No action could be taken on the bond election, as it was on the agenda for discussion only. Callaghan agreed to invite an FRK representative to the April 27 board meeting. The budget passed unanimously with little discussion.

There were only eight people in the audience at Monday’s meeting, and none signed up to speak during the public forum.

There is a general fund and six categorical funds for both revenue, which totals $37,158,407, and expenditures, which total $38,956,962, The beginning fund balance is $8,467,741.

Board member Donna Cook didn’t attend Monday’s meeting.

In other action Monday, the board:

• Decided not to award a bid to either of two bidders for a three-year external auditor contract. A 10-minute discussion centered on whether Nolte, Cornman & Johnson, whom the district has had on contracts for about 12 years, would be the better option, or the alternative, by about $2,000 for each of the three years of the bid, which is Hunt & Associates of Knoxville. Isaac recommended the district use Hunt & Associates, as it is a good business practice to get “a fresh set of eyes” for an audit every 10 to 12 years.

Elbert motioned to use Hunt & Associates, but eventually withdrew his motion to allow Friedman and fellow board member Travis Padget to research the topic. No further board action was taken.

• Voted unanimously to have about 62 educators attend a “Capturing Kids’ Hearts” professional development seminar the weekend of June 23-25 in the Newton area. The site was not yet determined, but Callaghan mentioned the Des Moines Area Community College Newton Campus as a possibility. The cost to the district is $47,100.

• Unanimously approved the purchase of two nine-passenger Chevy Suburbans at a cost of $72,446 each from Noble All-American. Karl Chevrolet beat the bid by about $800, but the board decided to go with Noble, a local dealership that has a solid history with the district.

• Unanimously approved a partnership with the Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing, which will allow the district to bid on food services and other items on a co-op basis.

• Unanimously approved annual memberships in the Iowa Association of School Boards at $9,182 and in the Iowa School Finance Information Services at a cost of $2,802.50.

• Heard updates from Maintenance Supervisor Jack Suttek regarding recently completed projects. A fire escape was rebuilt at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, and a greenhouse was constructed at Newton High School.

• Callaghan announced the resignation of Berg Middle School Principal Scott Bauer, Aurora Heights Elementary School secretary Chris Dunsbergen and Newton High School Nurse Stephanie Clute and the retirement of teacher Sandy Baumgart and others, effective at the end of the school year.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com