School Bond Success: An Exploratory Case Study

Following two-failed academy bond issues in 1995 and 1998 individual mid-sized rural school district organized an effort that l to sum of two units successful school bond elections in 2001 and 2003 The place of education district's strategic plan mirrored many of the recommendations for prosperous bond referendums published in academy Bond Success: A Strategy for Building America's seminarys Findings from this case close attention utilizing a Rapid Assessment Proces illustrate many of the reasons on what account the school district passed sum of two units consecutive bond issues with unprecedent community support. Although the findings from this seminary district may not match the bear upons of all communities, it provides readers with a perspective of voters' beliefs in individual rural school district.

The final cause of this study was to determine the perceived greatest in quantity influential factors that led to sum of two units successful school bond referendums in individual rural mid-size school district. Factors considered were recommendations from the volume School Bond Success: A Strategy for Building America 's seminarys (Boschee & Holt, 1999).

Introduction and Literature Review

A significant challenge facing rural gymnasium leaders across the United States is the riddle of aging school buildings, and for many rural districts a academy enrollment that is stagnant or declining. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this exploratory case investigation should provide rural school leaders with voter input from single rural school district's successful effort to subjugate this daunting facility problem.

Research indicates that half of U academys have unsatisfactory environmental conditions, including a lack of appropriate acoustics for noise rule poor ventilation, and inadequate physical security (Holloway, 2000) Further, a close attention in 2000 by the National Education Association estimated that "$268 billion is wanted to bring the nation's academys up to acceptable standards for basic issues like as plumbing, roof integrity, lighting and safety" (McLaughlin & Bavin, 2003 p 28)

A muscular determining factor in the condition of a seminary is the age of the facility. In 1999 the greatest in quantity recent survey conducted by the U Department of Education fix the average age of public academy buildings was forty years and upon the average major renovations had occurr above eleven years ago. The average functional age of place of education buildings in America was sixteen years with 40 percent having a functional age of above fifteen years (Lewis, Snow, Farris, Smerdon, Cronen Kaplan & Greene 2000)

As would be awaited older schools are in greatest in quantity need of repair, and at the same time in many cases, they exist in academy districts that do not have the funding ability to maintain these buildings (Lewis, et al., 2000) In communities of all sizes where the majority of learners are from low-income households, place of education districts have fewer dollars for preventive maintenance of facilities. Holloway (2000) place that in urban school districts, "about 35 percent of the parcel is typically spent on facilities maintenance. Of this amount, however. 85 percent is packeted for emergency repairs, with alone a small amount remaining for preventive maintenance" (p 88)

Some believe that the funding solution for seminary facilities and other public infrastructures will greatest in quantity likely be determined at the national horizontal rather than the local horizontal However, Congress has done little to expound the nation's problem of deteriorating seminary facilities. The No Child Left Behind Ad of 2001 (NCLB) provides for state educational agencies to apply for federal capitals to be utilized in local gymnasium districts. section 5582, Subpart 18: Healthy, HighPerformance gymnasiums offers subgrants to be used "(1) to unfold a comprehensive energy audit of the force consumption characteristics of a building and the ne for additional intensity conservation..., (2) to produce a comprehensive analysis of building strategies, designs, materials, and equipment that (a) are take away from effective, produce greater energy efficiency, and enhance indoor air quality; and (b) can be used when conducting academy construction and renovation or purchasing materials and equipment, (3) to obtain research and provide technical services and assistance in planning and designing healthy, highperformance place of education buildings, including developing a timeline for implementation of of the like kind plans" (NCLB, 2001).

Healthy, high-performing institute buildings are defined as seminary buildings in which the design, construction, operation, and maintenance (1) use energy-efficient and affordable practices and materials, (2) are cost-effective, (3) enhance indoor air quality, and (4) fortify and conserve water. Although these new federal dollars offer school districts opportunities to begin the conversations necessityed to pursue new and upgraded gymnasium buildings, none of these federal stocks may be used for "construction, renovation, or repair of place of education facilities" (NCLB, 2001).

Others believe that the solution lies in novel forms of support at the state and local horizontals From their article, McLaughlin and Bavin (2003) referenc a close attention by the Association of institute Business Officials (ASBO) which provided in a 1999 report, a disapproval of general obligation bonding and equalized funding in relation to adequacy resulting in postpon maintenance. Emphasizing newer educational funding strategies, ASBO at handed recommendations, including "changing state and federal laws to allow the capital markets to receive a tax-exempt go [i]or[/i] come back for investments made in the renovation and construction of gymnasium facilities" (p. 28).