Citizens for Havasu Schools HISTORY August 2015, 200 LHC citizens - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Feb 05, 2024 406 likes •654 views

Citizens for Havasu Schools HISTORY August 2015, 200 LHC citizens came together at a town hall to identify challenges of the community. The number one identified issue was educator pay. From the town hall, a subcommittee was formed calling

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Citizens for Havasu Schools

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HISTORY

August 2015, 200 LHC citizens came together at a town hall to identify challenges of the

community. The number one identified issue

was educator pay.

Citizens for Havasu Schools From the town hall, a subcommittee was formed calling themselves Citizens for Havasu Schools. That group held a series

f education town halls to share the challenges that LHUSD

faces and heard concerns from residents about the schools. The overwhelming concern was lack of funding. At that point, Citizens for Havasu Schools began to organize a community led funding measure. The group continued to get feedback from residents through Town Halls and surveys. The group decided that a bond and override was needed, but these would be developed by community members with the school district as a partner. Over the last decade, LHUSD has been unable to garner community support for two overrides and a bond, despite the fact that most schools in AZ use these funding mechanisms. To better engage the community, Citizens for Havasu Schools has taken it upon themselves to lead the way in promoting and asking for support from community members for this needed funding.

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AUGUST ‘15

∙ Town Hall

SEPTEMBER ‘15

∙ Education committee establishes need for Town Halls

OCTOBER ‘15

∙ Education committee meeting

NOVEMBER ‘15

∙ First Education Town Hall at LHHS ∙ Education committee meeting

DECEMBER ‘15

∙ Surveys distributed and analyzed ∙ Education committee meeting

JANUARY ‘16

∙ Education committee meeting

FEBRUARY ‘16

∙ Starline Town Hall ∙ Subcommittee meets with district to discuss budget

MARCH ‘16

∙ Thunderbolt Town Hall ∙ Met with Bond Council ∙ Education committee meeting ∙ Subcommittee meeting with District to discuss budget

APRIL ‘16

∙ Education committee meeting ∙ Subcommittee meets with district to discuss budget

MAY ‘16

∙ Subcommittee meets with district to discuss budget ∙ Smoketree Town Hall ∙ Education committee meeting ∙ Education committee meeting

JUNE ‘16

∙ Oro Grande Town Hall ∙ Education committee meeting

LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT

26

5 BUDGET SUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS 1 BOND COUNCIL MEETING

REGULAR MEETINGS

15

EDUCATION TOWN HALLS

5

THE JOURNEY SO FAR

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LHUSD#1 BOND/OVERRIDE HISTORY

FAILED

LHUSD #1 K-12 Override 7 ,171 Total Votes

FAILED

LHUSD #1 K-3 Override 7 ,158 Total Votes

PASSED

LHUSD #1 Bond $29.6m Paid In Full July 2015

1996

PASSED

LHUSD #1 K-12 Override 10% of Revenue Control Limit = $2.5m

PASSED

LHUSD #1 K-3 Override 5% of Revenue Control Limit = $854k

2005 2009

FAILED

LHUSD #1 Bond by 249 votes $67 .4m

2014

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NEW APPROACH

COMMUNITY INPUT is at the forefront of this

proposal. Our team of committed volunteers

spent countless hours listening and learning from our stakeholders. Parents are frustrated with the poor condition

f our schools, educators are talking about

unprecedented levels of staff turnover, and the business community is expressing concerns

ver the ability to recruit and retain quality

workforce. Our team realized very early on that the more input and frank discussion derived from the Town Hall series would lead to a more complete and comprehensive understanding

f the current state of our local school system.

OLD APPROACH/PARADIGM

COMMUNITY

LHUSD #1 VISION 20/20 REVITALIZATION PLAN PARENTS BUSINESS COMMUNITY

LHUSD #1 COMMUNITY

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & JOB CREATION TOURISM & PLACE DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION & TALENT SUPPLY WATER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

5 KEY AREAS OF FOCUS

1. Pass School Funding Measure(s)
2. Retain Teachers
3. Build Robust Career Pathways
4. Develop Sector-Based Training
5. Create a Strong Business/Education Collaborative

FACT

“ Better schools” was the overwhelming response, by 34% of participants, from the August Town Hall for opportunities to strengthen and grow our economy.

Vision 20/20 was created out of the Town Hall focusing on five areas of need that were identified by community members to address the issue of revitalization.

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A quality local education system is critical to the advancement of our goals in Vision 20/20. With the decline in an available trained workforce, throughout our nation, attracting talent to our community is critical if Lake Havasu City expects to sustain a vibrant economy for decades to come. We must become a desirable place to live, work and raise a family. It all starts by recognizing the importance of education to the talent supply we wish to attract.

“

— Mayor Mark Nexsen

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Education Town Halls were held at five

f the schools to give the community an
pportunity to voice concerns and share

successes of their local school.

TOWN HALL SERIES

Staff reviewed information about the facility and work conditions. Town Halls will continue throughout the fall at the remaining schools. The Fact Sheets were created to better inform the community about school specifics.

One of the primary drivers for healthcare professionals to choose to come to a new area is the quality of the education system in that community. It is vital that we work to ensure that Lake Havasu has an excellent K-12 system that stands out above the rest.

“

— Mike Patterson | CEO Havasu Regional Medical Center

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STAFF PAY TOWN HALL $1,376,330.65 383 32 53,100 A HAVASUPAI $1,799,887.96 570 42 51,984 A JAMAICA $1,248,361.13 362 29 47,273 B ORO GRANDE $1,226,992.19 348 36 47,273 A NAUTILUS $1,715,299.82 527 64 57,991 B SMOKETREE $1,755, 772.14 635 45 51,255 A STARLINE $16,145,549.58 5,459 442 764,644 TOTAL STUDENTS STAFF CAMPUS SQ FT SCHOOL’S GRADE $6,048,170.13 1772 127 272,074 B LHHS $2,730,507.70 862 67 183,694 B THUNDERBOLT

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What is an override?

Looking at the needs of the district and survey data, the committee recommends the override be focused on three areas:

OVERRIDE

Overrides are used to provide additional funding to support what happens inside school

r community college classrooms (teaching,

learning and operations). School districts may ask for an increase of up to 15% of their budget for their M&O override. Overrides are approved for a term of 7 years. Many school districts will ask voters to approve a renewal in year 4 or 5 of an override to maintain a consistent level of funding. If not renewed, the amount decreases by 1/3 in the 6th year and 2/3 in the 7th year. A maintenance and operations override (M&O) supports things such as teacher salaries, benefits, supplies and general operations. Source: Expect More Arizona

OVERRIDE

=

PEOPLE

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Goals

Educator Pay Health Benefits Reduce Athletic Fees

15%

1 2 3

MEDIAN HOUSE MONTHLY YEARLY 5 YEAR COMMITMENT $250,000 $13.22 $158.60 $793

5 YEAR COMMITMENT

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EDUCATOR PAY

PHOENIX $47,230 LHC $31,500 GOAL LAS VEGAS $51,960 SAN DIEGO $73,530

Median compensation for teachers is not competitive regionally or nationally.

NATIONAL AVERAGE $56,310 PARKER $33,000

This year,

f the elementary schools

lost their principals. The district had teacher turnover.

50% 20%

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HEALTH BENEFITS ATHLETIC FEES

Annual premiums for employer-sponsored health coverage has been rising steadily for the past decade. Lake Havasu Unified School District just raised their per employee funding from $4,800 to $5,300 in

2015. Unfortunately, this increase is not adequate

in comparison to the national average of healthcare costs at $11,304 per employee.

$9,000 CITY $5,300 CURRENT $7,300 (+$2,000) GOAL

NTL. AVG

$11,304

$800

$400 REDUCE FEE

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What is a bond?

BOND

Looking at the needs of the district, the committee recommends the bond be focused in these areas:

With voter approval, public school districts or community colleges may issue bonds (which are purchased by investors) to fund projects that have a useful life longer than five years. Examples include building new schools, building improvements (HVAC, roof, and lighting), technology, school buses or equipment, to name a few. Bonds are repaid over a set period of time. Community feedback about the 2014 bond proposal was taken into consideration and the committee reviewed district needs and developed an updated bond proposal that is focused on safe schools and overall efficiency

f district operations.

BONDS

=

BUILDINGS

Source: Expect More Arizona

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Areas of Focus

Maintenance Transportation Technology Athletics

1 2 3 4

MILLION

MEDIAN HOUSE MONTHLY YEARLY 20 YEAR COMMITMENT $250,000 $8.78 $105.36 $2,107.20

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$31.785 M

Renovate current schools so they are safe, efficient, and revitalized. Areas

f focus are Plumbing, Electrical,

HVAC, Asphalt, Flooring, Roofing, Playground Equipment depending

n needs of school.

Buses will be used for out of town educational opportunities, special education services, and Thunderbolt

transportation. LHHS transportation

will be added if bond and override pass. District vehicles are used to facilitate transition services and work force development, professional development, and for district personnel who work on multiple campuses.

$7.3 M MAINTENANCE TRANSPORTATION

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Technology will be modernized to support school functions and student

safety. A focus on infrastructure has

been made. Items include Phone, Intercom, Bell, Wireless Canopy at LHHS and Thunderbolt, District Accounting Software.

$4.388 M

Athletics is the intersection between the community and education. Historically, it is a place of community pride and a place for student athletes to shine. Thunderbolt and LHHS tracks and fields are in disrepair. LHHS and Thunderbolt items include Field Turf, All-Weather Tracks, Added Fields for use in PE, athletics and by the community.

TECHNOLOGY ATHLETICS $5.322 M $49.05 M TOTAL

INCLUSIVE OF BOND SALES COSTS

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Why do both matter?

We have listened to the community over the past eight months. We have learned that our community must invest in the talent that makes a difference in our children’s lives. We must also consider the age and state of

ur facilities, and improve the infrastructure

that houses our community schools.

Citizens for Havasu Schools

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OVERRIDE BOND TOTAL INVESTMENT

Education is a people driven

enterprise. Our community’s

ability to deliver students to be the work force of tomorrow depends on retaining and attracting educators and support staff. Last year, LHUSD lost 20% of the teaching staff. This is a major red flag that must be addressed. Our community has the required buildings to service

ur student population of

5,459 but our school district has not had the appropriate capital improvement funds to keep these facilities current. Operating more than three quarters of a million square feet is expensive, but more than necessary when thinking about the numerous students that will pass through the halls over the next 20 years. We must start the transformation of our assets now, and prepare future leaders for tomorrow.

+ =

$21.99 $263.96 MONTHLY YEARLY

Based on an owner-occupied residence valued by the county assessor at $250,000

FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015/2016, LHUSD HAS $136.9 MILLION IN BONDING

CAPACITY. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE

$0 IN OUTSTANDING BONDS.

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Engagement with the community over the last 9 months has been insightful in learning what the community values. We implore the school board to concentrate on four key areas as we move through this process.

Partner with Citizens for Havasu Schools to create clear and concise bond expenditures Community partnership and engagement Prioritize local contractors Return unused bond funds

1 2 3 4

Citizens for Havasu Schools committee recommends the following:

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1 2

Citizens for Havasu Schools will hire a consultant to strategically structure these expenditures to bring this proposal to transparent “Line Item Levels” so the community can understand the work that went into this effort and its benefits. We often see community support shown through generous donations. These funding measures will not discourage the positive engagement

f our community, but strengthen the ties that have encouraged
partnership. LHUSD needs to create more opportunities for

community engagement and philanthropic efforts. Partner with Colorado River Building Industry Association (CRBIA) to hold semi-annual classes on how to bid for local work. We propose that any funding leftover from the bond be returned to home owners.

4 3

SLIDE 22 Adam Pakes Andrea Helart Andrew Campbell Brady Krueger Christine Simmons Danielle Alfandre David Young Denise Miner Dick & Betty Rounds Eileen Johnson James Gray James Porter Jamie Festa-Daigle Jann Woods Jerri Bracamonte Jesse Francoeur Jim Liesen John Masden Kimberley Krueger Lisa Krueger Lisa Riddle Marcia Cox Mike Bonney Nello Ruscitti Nichole Cohen Paula Norby Sandy Robbins Shannon Williams Shawna Schneikart Stephanie Dieringer Stephanie Lueras Steve Greeley Tara Thompson Tatum Bracamonte Tonya Krueger Traceye Jones Vijette Saari Wendy Moore

EDUCATION COMMITTEE

We are a group of Havasu citizens concerned with ensuring that Lake Havasu City has the best education possible preschool through college.