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Breaking down Chamber

the
school bond issue conceals
A process for
long-term issue for
Columbia Public Schools
was conceived in three
phases. Voters approved
$120 million bond issue that
will appear on the April 6 ballot.
In addition to this money, the
district will also use $18 million
new high school, a new
elementary school, building
improvements, construction,

endorsing
phase one in 2007. However, left over from the previous bond. air conditioning, technology
phases two and three have The proposed bond and interest and fees
been combined into a single issue would be spent on a associated with the funding.

$97.5 million Group’s leaders decline to

reveal committee, process
nNew 1,800-student high school, By Patrick Sweet
including the necessary technology, news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
The Columbia Chamber of
furniture and athletic fields. $75 mil- Commerce has nearly 1,170
members, but only six were
lion (includes $18 million from bond issue approved in 2007) involved in recommending
which candidates the cham-
n
Additional gyms/physical education space at Hickman and Rock ber would endorse in the City
Council election.
Bridge high schools. $7.5 million Nobody wants to reveal who
five of those six members
n
New elementary school. $15 million were.
For the first time in a his-
tory that spans more than 100
process.
On Jan. 15, the chamber’s
board of directors voted to
“establish an Endorsement
Task Force to review and
make recommendations to the
board of directors for possible
endorsements in the upcom-
ing April election,” according
to minutes of the meeting.
Those minutes did not specify
whether the vote was unani-
mous.
Chamber Chairman Byron

$14.8 Million
years, the chamber endorsed Hill of ABC Labs appointed the

$10 million council candidates: Bob McDa-

vid for mayor, Gary Kespohl
for the Third Ward seat and
six-member task force. Cham-
ber board member Randy Coil
of Coil Construction chaired it
n Roofing, window replacement, mor- Air condition schools still without
n Daryl Dudley for the Fourth and thus far is the only pub-
tar repairs and interior renovations air conditioning and replace boilers at Ward seat.
Not all the chamber’s mem-
licly known member.
Chamber president Don
(ceilings, flooring, electrical, plumbing 10 buildings bers feel they were represent- Laird said Wednesday that
and heating) at 17 schools n Air conditioning: Field, Ridgeway, ed, though, especially because
the endorsement process hap-
members of the task force
do not want to be known and
n Roofing: Cedar Ridge, Field, Gentry, Rock Bridge, Lee, Midway Heights, pened behind closed doors. that Coil would be the one
Lee, Mill Creek, New Haven, Shepard New Haven and Two Mile Prairie ele- Vicky Riback Wilson, a for- to release any names. Coil,
mer state representative and though, referred all comments
Boulevard, Two Mile Prairie and West mentary schools; West and Jefferson now a fellowship coordinator to Laird.
Boulevard elementary schools; Doug- junior high schools for the MU Fellowship Office, “(Laird) is the mouthpiece
had been a member of the for the chamber,” Coil said
lass, Hickman and Rock Bridge high n Boilers: Rock Bridge Elementary;
chamber for more than 25 Thursday. “I’m going to leave
schools; Lange Middle School West and Oakland junior high schools years. But she dropped her that up to Don on what he
membership, she said, because releases.”
the chamber was not trans-

$7.5 million $8.2 million parent about the endorsement Please see Chamber, page 6a

n Computers for
classrooms and labs;
n Costs associated

with bond fund-

network infrastruc-
ture improvements at
21 schools
Read more about the bond issue and
see a timeline of previous bonds.
Page 3A.
What you will see on the ballot
“Shall The School District of
Columbia, Boone County, Missouri,
issue its general obligation bonds
in the amount of $120,000,000 for
the purpose of completing, without
limitation, constructing a new high
school; acquiring and developing
sites for and constructing a new
elementary school facilities for
Radar cameras’
ing, including $1.2 million in bond
insurance and a contingency fund
of $7 million for interest during
limits still disputed
By Kiki Schmitz
construction (if assessed valuation news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
remains flat or become negative) JEFFERSON CITY — A
proposed crackdown on
speed radar cameras has
brought a division between
state and local regulations
into the open.
Legislation proposed by
Rep. Michael Corcoran, D-
St. Louis County, would regu-
late the installation of speed
constructing, improving, extend- ping new gymnasiums at exisiting radar cameras by allowing
ing, repairing, remodeling, reno- high schools. their use only in school, work
vation, furnishing and equipping “If this proposition is approved, and construction zones.
new and existing school facilities; the adjusted debt service levy of the Corcoran said his home-
making roofing, heating, air con- school district is estimated to remain town of St. Ann is the first
ditioning, ventilation and general unchanged from the current debt
municipality to use radar
improvements in numerous build- service levy of $0.8019 per $100 of
ings; acquiring technology for the assessed valuation of real and per- cameras to enforce speed
district; and constructing and equip- sonal property.” limits. Since early March,
the city has relied on radar
cameras to issue speeders
$100 fines. Corcoran said
complaints have come from
“non-residents using the road
as a cut-through.”
Corcoran’s bill has drawn
comparisons to similar pro-
posals regarding red-light
cameras. Columbia passed an
ordinance allowing the use of
red-light cameras in August
of 2006, but Toni Messina,
City of Columbia public rela-
tions director, said the City
Council has not discussed
the possibility of using speed
radar cameras in Columbia.
Without state-sanctioned
guidelines regarding these
technologies, a few legisla-
tors questioned whether city
ordinances pertaining to
Please see radar, page 6a

Basketball records OURDECISION2010 Index

available at MU site
By MICHAEL SMITH Meet the
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
March 14 to 21 has been
declared by the American
Society of News Editors as
“Sunshine Week,” a time to
shine the spotlight on the
rights of the people to open
government and freedom of
information.
Every day this week,
and once a week after, the
Missourian
will high-
light another show me the
gover n ment
record.
can
You
learn
records
a lot about
your community, state and
country. Open records help
people keep government in
check and help them better
understand how government
affects their lives.
You can find all the Show
Me the Records at columbi-
amissourian.com/records.
The records:
A list of all the records
held by Missouri men’s bas-
ketball players and teams How much it will cost:
in all statistical categories The information is free.
since the beginning of the
program.
Why you’d want them:
To expand your knowl-
edge on the MU basketball
program as the Tigers play
today in the first round of
the NCAA tournament.
Where you get the records:
Go to the men’s basket-
ball site for
MU athletics
at mutigers.
com/sports/m-
baskbl / miss -
m-baskbl-body.
html. Look for
“archives” in
the right-hand tool bar. At
the bottom of the archives
page, click on “statistical
history” to find several cat-
egories.
You can also download
complete statistical records
in a pdf format at the offi-
cial MU athletics site. Click
the Complete version link to
download the pdf file.
Abby 7A
Calendar 2A
Classified 4B
Comics 7A
candidates Lottery
Opinion
2A
5A
As a community and economic
specialist with MU Extension, Jerry
Wade spent over 20 years of his
life helping communities best use MU basketball Today’s
their resources. Now, after several Guard Michael Dixon surprised his weather
years as Fourth Ward city council- teammates with a new haircut
Today: Mostly sunny.
Jerry Wade
man and over a decade on the for the NCAA Tournament. Some Temp: 67°
Tonight: Likely late
Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission, Wade think it might help his team beat
first-round foe Clemson today.
showers.
thinks he is ready to lead as the city’s mayor.
ColumbiaMissourian.com
Temp:
37°
Page
Online only Opinion 2A
From what he
Go to ColumbiaMissourian.com
has dubbed
n To watch a video about Hickman High School’s “One-Act Play”
the five seri-
festival.
ous mayoral Our 102nd year/#134
nTo see a slideshow about MU School of Medicine’s Match Day,
contenders, 2 sections
when students learn where they will complete their residency. 16 pages
George Kennedy
George Kenne-
n To learn about how a House committee reduced spending Thurs-
day for some government services but failed to cut enough to cover dy details the three candidates
a projected shortfall in Missouri’s next budget. he thinks are most likely to win.
6 54051 90850 3
Columbia Missourian FRIDAY & SATURDAY, March 19-20, 2010 — Page 3A

$120 million school bond on April ballot

New buildings, technology proposed for Columbia Public Schools
By Kourtney Geers the growth curve,” Belcher said, explaining that enrollment is majority vote.
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com projected to grow by 700 to 1,000 new students in the next five
years. If it passes
The bond issue Construction on the high school would begin June 1, Belcher
Bonds issues and property tax levies serve different func- Concerns said, and other projects such as air conditioning, roofing and
tions. Bond issues, by law, can only fund construction, renova- Concerns from the community include how the district would technology would begin on a varied basis per building need.
tions, technology expenses, furniture and equipment. Levies afford to run the new schools, grade-transition changes and the Belcher said that the funds to operate the new buildings for at
are used to finance the daily operation and maintenance of possibility of program losses. least a couple of years would come from the district’s reserves,
schools. which have been deliberately grown in anticipation of new
The $120 million bond issue proposed for the Columbia History facilities.
Public Schools would be used to improve buildings, construct A plan for a three-part bond issue, at $60 million each, came
a high school and elementary school, new gyms at Hickman to the forefront a few years ago after a report from the dis- If it doesn’t pass
and Rock Bridge high schools, improve technology, provide air trict’s Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee. This report Voters can expect bond issues to be proposed in the near
conditioning and pay for interests and fees associated with this said schools were impaired by crowding, a need for repairs and future. If any emergency construction or maintenance came
type of funding. the use of trailers. up, operating funds would be tapped, Belcher said.
Voters approved phase one in 2007. Last year, interim Super-
How it would work intendent Jim Ritter recommended combining phases two and
The bond issue would not directly lead to tax increases, and, three into a single $120 million bond issue.
according to district handouts and presentations, a property
tax levy increase is not planned to further fund operating costs
Much of the 2007 bond issue was used for: construction of
Lewis Elementary School ($18.6 million), district technology BOND ISSUE BREAKDOWN
and maintenance of facilities. improvements ($5 million), air conditioning (more than $7 A $120 million Columbia Public Schools bond issue will go to the
The bonding capacity is capped by law so that the district’s million) and building enhancements ($7 million). If the April voters April 6. The School Board has proposed a $138 million plan
bond issue cannot exceed 15 percent of local assessed valuation 6 bond issue is approved, $18 million of the 2007 bond issue for new construction, renovations and technology improvements. The
of all state and local non-tax-exempt property in the district. would go toward new construction. plan includes $18 million from the 2007 bond issue.
“We have considerable room before we reach that level,”
schools Superintendent Chris Belcher said. How the bond issue passes 2010 BOND PROPOSAL
District information says current property taxes would not The issue can be passed with a four-sevenths, or 57 percent, In millions of dollars
be affected by approval of the bond issue, but the length of time Interest and fees
the district repays bond debt would be extended. The district’s
debt service fund pays for bond debt based on revenue collected Weigh in with concerns Building improvements
$8.2
from local taxation and budgeted state aid. Belcher said bonds $10
like this are typically are paid off over a 20 year period. Look for a story next week in the Columbia Missourian regarding
citizen concerns about the bond issue. If you have any you would
District’s main points like to share, please send them to education editor Elizabeth Brix-
The district maintains the bond issue is needed to implement ey at brixeye@missouri.edu.
goals adopted by the Columbia
School Board, including eas-
ing overcrowding, improving HISTORY OF BOND ISSUES
spaces where students learn, Air conditioning
The school bond issue on the April 6 ballot will be the largest dollar amount in Columbia Public Schools’
increasing the life spans and $14.8
history. The $120 million bond issue is part of a two-phase approach; voters approved a $60 million
efficiency of buildings and
bond issue in 2007. The last bond issue that failed to pass was in 1959.
reducing the number of stu- New high school
dent grade level transitions — BOND ISSUES APPROVED SINCE 1983 Technology $75
that is, phasing out junior high In millions of dollars $7.5
so kindergarten through fifth
grade is elementary school, $120 New elementary
sixth through eighth grades $60 school
are middle school and ninth $35 $15
$22.5 $23.8 $19.9 $12.8 $12.6 $15 $17.8 $19.8
through 12th grades are high $8.5
school.
Pro-bond issue information
from the district emphasiz- 2010 2007 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1989 1987 1983
(Proposed)
es that 164 trailers are used
right now by 23 percent of all High school gyms
students. Current enrollment $7.5
districtwide is 17, 419.
“We need to get ahead of Sources: BOONE COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE, MISSOURIAN ARCHIVES HALEIGH CASTINO/Missourian Source: COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS HALEIGH CASTINO/Missourian

Education association questions school board candidates

Candidates talked
about an array of
contentious issues.
By Alix Wiggins
and Kelly Brdicka
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
School Board candidates
offered varying responses
on the possible implementa-
tion of a merit pay system in
Columbia Public Schools at a
Columbia Missouri National
Education Association forum
Thursday night.
Candidates were each
allowed a one-minute open-
ing statement followed by four
questions from the National
Education Association, two
questions from the floor, and a
one-minute closing statement.
When asked for their opinion
of tying professional compen-
sation and rewards to student
achievement, including test
performance, the candidates
responded:
Jonathan Sessions:
n It looks good on paper,
but until he sees an instance
where it works in a public
school setting and teachers
approve of it, he would hold
off.
Phil Peters:
n Like every other situation,
he would like to look at the evi-
dence first. It would have to
improve student performance
and be fair.
Jan Mees:
n She is not in favor of
merit pay because there are
too many variables involved
in the model. There needs to
be adequate pay for teach-
ers. Mees voted to table merit
pay implementation as part
of the Comprehensive School
Improvement Plan at a board
meeting in January.
Dan Holt:
n He has yet to be in a
situation where performance
pay is a bad thing. He would
like to see it introduced into
Columbia Public Schools as a
collaborative effort with rules
set by teachers.
James Whitt:
n He believes the federal
merit pay initiative is directed
toward school districts that
are failing, and Columbia Pub-
lic Schools is not among them.
He supports the traditional
approach to improving the
teachers’ salary schedule.
Other topics included: reli-
gion in the classroom; the
value of career and technolog-
ical education; how the board
would handle the bond issue if
passed; and allowing teachers
to choose a collective bargain-
ing, or union, representative.
All candidates agreed the
bond issue is much needed
and would be handled respon-
sibly. They also agreed that
teachers, not the board, should
choose whether or not they
want a representative. A few
candidates said they had no
problem working with a future
representative and others
expressed a desire for more
information on the subject.
The School Board candi-
dates will appear on the April
6 ballot.

Unresponsive man found in

restaurant later declared dead
don’t miss
THIS
By JORDIN RUTHSTEIN Haden said.
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com The man was taken to
A 25-year-old man found Boone Hospital Center where
unresponsive early Thursday he was pronounced dead
morning in the Jimmy Johns just prior to 4 a.m. He is not
ColumbiaMissourian.com
located at 1019 E. Broadway believed to be an MU stu-
was later pronounced dead, dent, and his name has not
Public Information Officer been released.
Jessie Haden said.
At 3 a.m., Columbia Police
responded to an assist fire
call at Jimmy Johns, where
they found the man. There
were no apparent signs of
trauma and the cause of
death was undetermined,