Updated October 16, 2012
The Board and Superintendent have been leading public discussions regarding the facility and finance needs from May 2012 through July 2012. The following FAQ’s are some of the more commonly addressed.
Population Growth and Win-Win questions
Q: Superintendent Domine has commented that recent/current growth areas have not been from Win-Win or high density apartments/condos, rather it’s coming from single family home developments within New Albany. Can you elaborate further?
A: Our increased enrollment is not primarily due to high-density communities such as condos and apartments; our recent growth is generated in neighborhoods such as New Albany Links, Windsor, Upper Clarenton, Lansdowne and the Enclave.
The Win-Win areas of New Albany-Plain Local Schools have always been a part of the district. They were not added in after the agreement was made. In fact, the Win-Win agreement protects the district from additional student growth from thousands of acres of land in the northern area of the district. Win-Win assures that this land in the northern area will be transferred to the Columbus School District if it is ever developed with water and sewer. Win-Win property owners pay the exact same school millage as New Albany and Plain Township residents.
Q: NAPLS can’t directly control development, but what we can the school do to manage development? What are you doing? Where should people turn to voice concerns about residential development (NA city council? Zoning commission?) Is anything being done to curb residential growth in this district? How much undeveloped land is available for development and is that all being taken into consideration?
A: There have been a number of on-going efforts to reduce the growth of residential property within the district. The growth in the business park, particular the new Data and Information Campus is a prime example of land that was previously zoned residential that has been converted to commercial property. The City of New Albany and Plain Township have developed and implemented land-use plans that have worked to limit the density of the property that is designated for residential growth. The Win-Win agreement also serves to significantly reduce the amount of land available for residential development within the district. The vast majority of land within the “Win-Win” areas that remain to be developed will transfer to the Columbus City Schools when they are developed.
Q. How does the “Win-Win” Agreement work and how do these additional students factor into the long-term plan?
A: The “Win-Win” Agreement was put in place to end the confusion and uncertainty that existed prior to the agreement. Prior to the agreement, Columbus City Schools was primarily seeking to capture the high-value commercial property and none of the residential property. This was leaving the suburban school districts with increasing costs created by residential growth and little commercial property to lighten the load on their residential tax payers. The “Win-Win” agreement froze the school district boundaries of the district as they were in 1986 and it established the rules for when property would transfer to Columbus City Schools when it was annexed into the City of Columbus. It is important to note that NO property was added to the New Albany Plain Local School district as a result of “Win-Win”. Actually a primary result of the “Win-Win” agreement is that thousands of acres of residential property have been removed from the New Albany Plain Local School District. It also is important to keep in mind that all property within the district pays the exact same millage on their school property tax regardless of whether that property is in the City of New Albany, the City of Columbus, or Plain Township.
There is additional information about the “Win-Win” agreement available at this link
Q: Do we have some statistics regarding the number of students (and % of total) from apartments/condos within the district?
A: Using the October 1 enrollment of 4643:
- 2,108 (45.4%) students are in the Win-Win area of the district.
- Of that amount, 553 (11.9%) are apartment residents
- The remaining 1,555 (33%) in homes.
All property owners pay the same school property tax rates. If the district were to opt out of Win-Win, there would be no transfer of property between the districts – everybody would stay where they were at and it is entirely likely that additional residential development that is currently slated to go to Columbus under Win-Win would remain in the district.
Q: The NAPLS FAQ states that all residents of the district pay the same amount of millage (though it’s probably more accurate to say “property owners”). Is that true for the property owners of rental apartments/condos?
A: Yes, whoever owns that property is paying the tax on it. It is also possible that the tenant is paying for that through their rent to the landlord or property owner.
Q: Do we have information about how much future development could occur within the Win-Win areas? (This could be useful to compare to information about current growth areas.)
A: The district has been growing for the past 15 years. For most of the last decade we have continued to add at least 100 students per year in most years. There have been a number of things done to slow the growth. The Win-win agreement takes thousands of acres of land that could potentially be developed as residential and transfers it to Columbus City Schools. There has been land that was previously designated as residential that has become commercial – most notably the research and information campus. Both the City of New Albany and Plain Township have implemented plans that limit the density of residential development.
Tax and Financial
Q: Do all residents of the district pay the same taxes?
A: Yes, residents of the district pay the same amount of millage regardless of where they live. Home valuation will be what determines the tax for a resident.
Q: What is the reason for combining the bond and levy?
A: The district’s last levy was passed in 2008. Additional funding is needed to secure the critical space and operating dollars for the immediate future. Our focus will be to use these funds to lead our district to new levels of achievement as we reach for our district’s vision and mission for every student. The bond is critical as the district is already overcrowded. The Board believes the construction of new educational space without also planning to staff and use the building would not be good planning. If the bond passed and the levy the following year did not, the building would not be able to open the following school year. The Board did not want to build a building that the District couldn’t afford to open. The two-year levy is tied to enrollment growth and will be necessary according to the five-year forecast for the district. This decision to ask for a two-year levy cycle is a fiscally responsible decision made by the Board of Education to ask for what is needed for a shorter period of time from residents to build in increased accountability for results as we build confidence in the investment made to New Albany – Plain Local Schools.
Q: It seems like we need the bond more, could the levy wait?
A: Through rigorous financial management, the district has stretched the 2008 levy and established a cash balance through the 2013-2014 school year. Therefore, it is possible that the district could wait until 2013 for passage of a levy. However, if the district waited until the need was critical, the district would be facing the inability to run the district in the 2014-2015 school year without massive cuts, and the building would be built but unable to open. With this imminent need, it is better financial practice to plan ahead and prepare. The Board believes that it is fiscally responsible to ensure that the district has a stable financial position to run the district and that any building built is also able to open and be used by students.
Q: Why is the district using a budget driven process instead of producing designs of the new educational space?
A: Designing plans before the community decides if they want to invest in additional educational space is expensive and premature. With a budget that is realistic and has been reviewed through the 2008 and 2010 Master Plan process and recently vetted by multiple construction companies, the district can ensure that we have adequately budgeted for the need. Then when approved, the entire community will have the opportunity to participate in the design process. And, most importantly, the design process will be held accountable to the budget.
Q: When we read/hear about NA giving abatements to induce companies to relocate here, please explain how these work?
A: The district does not have any say over who receives abatements. This is a city/village responsibility. For commercial developments where abatements have been secured, we receive a portion of the income tax up to the point where the revenue matches the property taxes that were abated. Commercial property that generates no property tax is going to be better for the district to eliminate the potential enrollment growth that residential development would provide. The income tax sharing received by the district far outweighs the taxes that would have been received from undeveloped property.
Q: I believe NAPLS has an agreement with New Albany so that the schools do not lose the tax revenue. How does this work?
A. The district does have revenue sharing agreements in place with the City of New Albany that provide the district with revenue even when property taxes have been abated in order to attract commercial development. The income tax sharing agreement is split three ways, one-third to the community authority to pay off the notes, one-third to the village and one-third to the school district, but the amount depends on the community re-investment areas. While income tax revenues vary with the economy and the economic health of the business they do generate more school taxes than undeveloped land.
Q:What happens when the abatement ends?
A. The income tax sharing ends, we collect property tax from that property as we would any other property without an abatement.
Academic Programming
Q: Did the district consider innovative learning such as online classes or renting space off campus instead of constructing more educational space?
A: Yes, the Facility Advisory discussed the impact that new innovative learning opportunities could have on the need for space in the future. We focused on our vision to be one of the highest performing most innovative schools in the country. In fact, already innovations for blended learning with technology, flexible schedules and research/internships are underway at our High School. To incorporate the vision of how this will impact education ten years from now, the Advisory assumed that up to 400 high school students in the future may have flexible schedules and come and go off campus and reduce the need for on campus capacity. This is figured into the final decision to build flexible space for 1200 students.
Q: Is turf for the high school included in the bond?
A: No, the turf project is led by our Athletic Boosters and will be 100% privately funded. At the time the funds are raised, the district will set aside field maintenance annual costs to plan for the sustainable costs of the turf so there will be no additional cost to the district.
Q: Does the district intend to offer all-day kindergarten as a result of a successful bond/levy campaign?
A: All-day kindergarten may be a program that is piloted in the future if new space is constructed to provide the opportunity for this pilot. However, in this tight economic time the district aggressively trimmed the budget to keep the levy as small as possible. It did not include the operating costs for all-day kindergarten. Through research, the district has identified tuition-based models that could cover the costs of providing the option of all-day kindergarten. The district is committed to continue to study and discuss with the community the interest in launching an all-day-kindergarten option.
Questions regarding the new building
The district is first seeking permission from the community to build a new building. When approved, we will begin the process of planning our new, innovative learning space. To spend taxpayer money on blueprints and other design work before receiving community approval would be an irresponsible financial choice. Our goal is to build an educational space that will fit seamlessly into our campus with the flexibility to accommodate our enrollment growth.
Q: Where are you planning to build the new building
A: The location, most likely is that this building would be situated between the middle school cafeteria/gymnasium and the 2-5 elementary school
Q: Is the land already owned?
A: Yes, the district owns the land.
Q: What is the projected building cost of the new building?
A: The cost of the building itself has been calculated at 150,000 square feet @ $224.62 per square foot for a total of $33,693,722 The balance of the bond is the amounts necessary to make the campus function safely and efficiently
Q: When is the building expected to be completed and ready for occupancy?
A: The intent is that if the bond is approved this November it will be opening for the start of the school year in 2014. It is a very tight 22 month design and build schedule.
Q: Is turf for the high school included in the bond?
A: No, the turf project is led by our Athletic Boosters and will be 100% privately funded. At the time the funds are raised, the district will set aside field maintenance annual costs to plan for the sustainable costs of the turf so there will be no additional cost to the district.
Q: Why has the district not presented formal architectural plans and blueprints for the construction of the new facility?
A: In terms of planning, three prominent construction firms were consulted and they determined that the estimates for construction were realistic, even a bit conservative. The Board philosophically opposed spending taxpayer money for engineering and architectural studies before voters have approved the project. The Board wanted to first seek community support and secondly, involve the community in the planning process for new construction.
Please send your questions to: news@napls.us