No. This $15.7 million bond issue comes with a 0.00% projected tax increase for our community.

Our local tax revenue came in higher than projected, and the district has a stronger ability to repay debt. That gives us more flexibility in the amount of bond funding we can responsibly pursue, without increasing the tax rate beyond what voters approve.

Higher tax revenue improves the district’s debt-paying ability, which allows lenders to support a larger bond or better financing terms.

Part of our long-range plan is to shrink the district’s footprint in the community. The old model of neighborhood schools has been replaced with a centralized facility model. This allows for several benefits:

• Better opportunities for teachers to collaborate within grade levels
• Better use of funds and resources in serving one building instead of 2
• Providing more consistency for students and families as they progress through Miami Public Schools.

Student security is a top priority. The new Lower Elementary will feature a safe room to protect all 1st through 3rd-grade students in the district. The bond also provides new solid exterior walls for Nichols Upper Elementary. Currently, all the classrooms have mainly windows on their walls. This will create a much safer learning environment for students. This project is one part of our district-wide commitment to safer schools.

The Will Rogers property is centrally located and allows us to reuse existing district assets efficiently. When the old middle school was demolished, the dirt was prepared to be build-ready for this phase of growth. Building at this site is part of our long-range facilities plan to maximize resources and enhance security for students across all campuses.

When the last bond passed for the additions at MHS and Nichols, the millage (millage means how much property tax money is collected to fund our schools) was set high enough to allow us to fund future projects without raising taxes again. If bond issues aren’t renewed, the millage will decline, and future improvements could require a tax increase. Our long-term facility plan is to keep bonds on a steady cycle so we can maintain and improve our schools while avoiding tax increases.

This plan was shaped through a collaborative process. We held community focus groups to identify top priorities, toured our school buildings to assess needs, and consulted with architects and construction managers. We also reviewed past plans and discussions and carefully considered the financial impact to ensure the proposal is both effective and responsible.

We have not conducted a formal traffic study. Traffic studies can be costly, averaging $10,000–$20,000, and we want to prioritize those funds for other projects that benefit students. That said, we do have experience managing traffic in this area from when Will Rogers previously served 6th–8th grade students. To help reduce congestion, we would look at turning D Street back into a one-way and adding designated drop-off points at each site. We will monitor traffic closely and make adjustments as needed to keep things safe and efficient for families.  

The original building was not up to current fire codes, and it would have taken a significant amount of resources to get it there. Also, the structure had issues with mold. These things had no effect on the parts of the building that have remained operational the whole time.