Bill Scoggan has done what he can to spread the word about a bond election for the Mid-Del Schools scheduled for Tuesday. A little more than a week before the vote, however, he was not claiming victory yet.

In the past, most bond issues have won overwhelming voter approval. This time, the district is asking voters to approve a $190.9 million to close and sell some schools and enlarge and rebuild others. If passed, the measure would fund taking some of the district's oldest buildings off the district's hands.

For school districts around the state, 2010 was a year of uncertainty, with more surprises likely in store for 2011. With diminished state revenues, district officials around the state have tightened their belts, reined in spending, and squeezed every dime just to keep schools open and operational.

For Mid-Del to adapt, district officials saw one option in passing a bond issue and told voters that their property taxes likely would not increase if it passed. The district's last bond issue for $23.82 million was passed in 2009. When school bonds already on the books are retired, the new measure, if approved, would take their place.

MONEY MAKER
If the measure passes, a much-needed revenue stream for the district could be created by selling schools set to close and then leasing them back. Scoggan, superintendent of the Mid-Del Schools, could not discuss specific interested parties, but said he has been in talks with some entities that would be serious contenders to buy the old school buildings. Four elementary schools and two middle schools would be closed.

"At the end of the day, we're thinking that if we're able to sell them all, we'll be able to garner something in the $5 million to $6 million range," he said.

Scoggan also addressed overcrowding issues if Jarman Middle School and Kerr Middle School are both closed, and those students would move to Del Crest Middle School or Monroney Middle School in expanded buildings. The staff from the closed schools would go to the new schools, and Scoggan said new wings at each middle school would be dedicated to sixth graders.

As to the question of taxes, Scoggan has touted that the measure would not raise property taxes. Mike Morrison, comptroller for the Oklahoma County Assessor's Office, said that is technically accurate, but other factors are in play.

DECREASING TAXES?
Morrison said since a bond often replaces another bond, the tax rate will not change. If it does not pass, taxes could actually go down. Property owners could also end up paying more if the value of their property increases.

"It will not change your tax amount because they're just replacing one debt for another," Morrison said. "But typically what can happen is if the value of your property increases, then of course the tax bill will be higher."

If the measure passes, Scoggan said the bond dollars would be dedicated to certain projects, but the bond dollars would not tie the hands of the district for years to come. Should something happen and a building not included in the bond proposal need repair, Scoggan said the district would file an insurance claim. In addition, Scoggan anticipates the district could ask for another $5 million in four years, and five years after that request another $10 million in bond issues to address repairs and renovations around the district.

Faced with a looming $10 million shortfall in funding from the state, Scoggan said desperate times require desperate measures. But he sees the bond issue as the best bet to save the district money in the long run and to ease the pain in the short term, even if it comes with a hefty price tag.

"We cannot control our revenue," he said. "We are forced to look at things from a different angle. Bond issues in Mid-Del have traditionally been paint, patch and pretty up."

photo Mid-Del Schools Superintendent Bill Scoggan holds a bond brochure. Photo/Kelley Chambers