When is the Edgewood-Colesburg CSD bond election?

The bond election will be held Tuesday, September 13, 2022.

 

Who is eligible to vote?

Any person who lives within the Edgewood-Colesburg Community School District boundary and is registered to vote may participate in the bond election.

 

How do I register to vote?

You can register online with a valid driver's license, download the voter registration forms, or pick them up from the Clayton or Delaware County Auditors’ offices.

 

What will the bond support?

​The bond referendum will be asking for $12.555 million. If approved, it would fund the following projects:

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• Upgrades to mechanical and HVAC systems at our elementary school

• Improved accessibility in the Jr./Sr. High School building

• New career and technical education (Business, Vocational Agriculture, Industrial Technology, Art) spaces

• New gym 

• Improved student and traffic safety and a new secure entrance at the Jr./Sr. High

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What is being proposed?

“Shall the Board of Directors of the Edgewood-Colesburg Community School District in the Counties of Clayton and Delaware, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $12,555,000 to provide funds to remodel, repair, improve, and equip the Elementary School facility, including HVAC improvements; to build, furnish, and equip additions to the Junior / Senior High School facility, including a new gym and new space for career and technical education, with related remodeling and improvements, safety and security upgrades, and site improvements, including relocation of the main entrance and drop-off and pick-up areas?”

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Will there be community meetings to discuss the proposed bond?

Yes, there will be a community meeting to share information. The meeting will be held in the high school music room on Thursday, August 25, 2022, at 6 p.m.

 

Why are the building improvements needed? 

The HVAC at the elementary is at the end of the expected life expectancy. The boiler will need to be replaced in the next few years, and the uni-vents in the classroom are extremely noisy. Replacement parts are expensive and difficult to find. 

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The current VoAg classroom and shop are the second-oldest classrooms. There is no natural light, and it is not connected to the main building. Grouping the VoAg, business, and art classrooms would allow for more collaboration and joint projects.

 

Bus drop-off and pick-up have been a concern for years. Improvements have been made, but the separating of traffic flow would increase safety.

 

A new facility will also provide our students and staff with a learning environment that will serve the students of Edgewood-Colesburg School District for many years to come. 

 

Why is a new gym needed? 

Dating back to the 1950s, our gymnasiums are the oldest classrooms in our district, at over 60 years old. A lot has changed in that time, from court size standards and event attendance, to the number of extracurricular sports and activities that require an indoor space.

 

At approximately only 35% of the overall cost of the proposed bond, the flexibility this added space will provide the district is immeasurable. Not only will the district be able to better schedule practices for athletic programs, but there also would be a gym available to use for physical education while the other is set up for activities like plays, assemblies, concerts, or graduation. 

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How much will this cost me?

Click here for tax impact calculator

 

In 2022, the tax rate was $13.19576. With the proposed levy increase, a house with an assessed value of $100,000 would have an additional tax of $8.21 per month. This assumes the Homestead Credit is received for this primary residence. 

 

Agricultural land is not taxed at the market value of the land, but instead an “assessed valuation” that is driven by productivity formulas. In Clayton County, the average assessed value of an acre of land is $1,228 per acre. $1,4284 per acre is the average assessed value of an acre in Delaware County. Using an average for Clayton County, the tax impact for 100 acres of agricultural land would be an additional $18.21 per month. 

 

What’s the CSR value the agricultural estimate is based on?

Property taxes on agricultural land are based on the assessed value of the land and ultimately, after rollback is applied, the taxable value, rather than the market value. 

 

For example, the average assessed value of one acre of ag land in Clayton County as of January 1, 2021 (per Iowa State University Extension Services), was $1,228 and the taxable value of that acre of ag land was $1,093. The average market value of that same acre was $8,911. For this example, it is the $1,093 value that is the basis for calculating property taxes.

 

The easiest way to determine your approximate added tax obligation is to look at your most recent tax bill from the County Treasurer. There, you will find the taxable valuation of the property, no matter what class of property you may own (residential, commercial, ag, etc.). Divide that taxable valuation by 1,000 and multiply by the proposed tax increase, which is $1.99891 in this case.

 

What upgrades are planned for the elementary building?

The bond does include redoing the heating system and adding air conditioning. Some improvements that have already been completed are new windows, new parking, and a new security system. The Board of Education will continue to make improvements as needed.

 

What are projected enrollment numbers?

Enrollment numbers are projected to remain steady in the next few years. However, there are factors that could increase enrollment. The Edgewood Economic Development Committee is working to expand business and housing opportunities in our area. While the possibility of increasing enrollment is one factor in the proposed improvement, it is not the only factor. The current buildings are in need of repair, no matter what the enrollment situation.  

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Who designs the interior of the building?

The elected officials of the Edgewood-Colesburg Board of Education will work with Demmer Architecture and Emergent Architecture to design the proposed building. The board will gather feedback from stakeholders as needed as they work through the process.

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Below is information from Estes Construction's email dated July 13, 2022:

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