What's next with the remaining bond funds?

Voters approved a $75 million school bond issue in November 2008 for three major projects.

·  Expand Mill Valley High School to accommodate 1,450 students (complete)

·  Construct Belmont Elementary (complete)

·  Expand De Soto High School to accommodate 1,000 students (in progress)

In December 2009, the Board of Education divided the De Soto High School expansion into three phases as the result of severe economic conditions and a slowdown in student enrollment. Separating the DHS project into phases has allowed the board to lessen the property tax impact on homeowners and address immediate programming needs. Currently, USD 232 has called $52 million of the $75 million of authority approved by patrons.

Due to cost savings achieved from the construction of Belmont Elementary, the Mill Valley expansion, and phase one of De Soto High School, the district anticipates an approximate cash balance of $11 million. While this amount is not sufficient to complete all remaining projects at De Soto High School, these remaining funds are sufficient to accomplish Phase II of the De Soto High School expansion,  as well as complete a few additional capital improvement projects.

Proceeding with Phase II at De Soto High School

The Board of Education, in keeping with its commitment to voters, continues to move forward with phase two construction at DHS. On Monday, March 28, 2011, the Board of Education approved a schematic design for Phase II construction and authorized the school district to proceed with a competitive bidding process in an amount not to exceed $9.3 million.

Remaining Bond Authority is $23 million

As mentioned above, the board has issued authority for $52 million of the original $75 million bond issue. As a result, the district has $23 million in bond authority for which bonds have not been issued. Until more bonds are issued, the district has no additional funds to complete Phase III of De Soto High School. In an effort to protect homeowners from an additional mill levy increase (dedicated to bond payments), the board will be strategic with the issuance of additional bonds. The bond issue accounted for 12 percent inflation, which was prior to the economic downturn. If the amount set aside for inflation is not needed, the board would not issue bonds in that amount. 

New! October 10, 2011

Representatives from Manning Construction and HTK Architects shared details from the competitive bid process for Phase II construction at De Soto High School. The project had a total of 21 bid packages and the district received 103 separate bids from various companies. Manning Construction and HTK Architects indicated the high number of bidders reflects the competitive nature of the current construction market.

The Phase II project will include reinforced construction materials to create a storm shelter at De Soto High School. The shelter qualifies for a reimbursement grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the amount of $827,339. Based on the bid results and the reimbursement from FEMA, the budget for Phase II is $8,471,578. Manning Construction and HTK Architects recommended the low bidders for all packages. The construction team also recommended the alternate bid for updating the speakers/sound system in the gymnasium in the amount of $42,295.

After discussion, the board took action and approved low bids for construction of the De Soto High School Phase II expansion/renovation as presented,  including Alternate #2 (speakers/sound system). Note: the funds for Phase II construction are already available and will not require the sale of additional bonds; the bond dollars are already reflected in the current mill levy.