NEWCASTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS / From the desk of Dr. Cathy Walker
Hello Racer Families,
Ihope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed quality time with family and friends.
I have been asked many questions over the past two weeks about the next steps since the bond did not pass. First, I want to thank everyone who voted for the bond and advocated for it. Your hard work and commitment to the students in Newcastle has not gone unnoticed.
There is a lot of misinformation out there concerning bonds, what they can fund, how they affect property taxes and the needs of the district. I have tried to address as many of those comments, questions and concerns as possible in the Q and A below.
The bond had a majority vote. Why did it not pass?
— School bond elections have to pass by a 60% supermajority vote. We needed 66 more yes votes in order for it to pass.
What are the next steps in passing another bond?
— The bond committee will reconvene to reevaluate what to put on the next bond.
When can the next bond election happen?
— The earliest the school board can approve a bond proposition will be March 19, 2026. The proposition will have to be filed with the Election Board by April 1, 2026 for the election on June 16, 2026.
Will property taxes designated for the school district go away since this bond did not pass?
— No. The portion of your property taxes that is labeled “sinking fund” is the only part of your property taxes that is affected by the bond. The 2022 bond is scheduled to be paid off in 2032, however, it could be earlier due to anticipated growth in Newcastle. The 2025 bond would have kept the millage of the sinking fund the same and would have been paid off at the same time of the 2022 bond.
Why do school districts need bonds?
— Bonds allow schools to make capital improvements such as build new buildings, renovations to existing buildings, HVAC replacements, safety and security improvements, textbooks, technology upgrades, and buses. These are items that districts can not afford by using their building fund allocation alone.
Can’t districts just manage their General Fund money better and save for these projects?
— Under 70 O.S. § 1-117, expenditures from the General Fund must be noncapital in nature. Because of these legal restrictions, General Fund dollars cannot be used for capital improvements or major facility construction projects.
Why are safe rooms needed at the elementary school? The tornado that came through last November happened at night.
— Safety and security of our students is the number one priority of our district. Currently, our fourth and fifth graders have to walk a quarter of a mile to the community shelter. While the tornado in November occurred at night, there are many documented tornadoes that have come through Newcastle during the day.
There has been concern that the district has not done what it said it would do on the last bond. I have outlined the items in the bond resolution and added completion dates by those items that have been completed.
Bond Resolution Items
— Construct, furnish, equip, and/or acquire improvements at Newcastle Early Childhood Center to include but not be limited to: playground improvements and playground equipment; or in the alternative acquiring all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. Completed 2024 — Construct, furnish, equip, and/or acquire improvements at Newcastle Elementary School to include but not be limited to: road improvements to improve the traffic flow; playground equipment; outdoor classroom space to include concrete slab and shade structure; and façade improvements in front; or in the alternative acquiring all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. Completed 2023, 2024 — Construct, furnish, equip, and/or acquire improvements at Newcastle Middle School to include but not be limited to: multi-classroom addition for all three grade pods to include storm shelters in certain new classrooms; certain flooring, painting, ceiling, and lighting improvements; and a secure/safety vestibule at the entrance; or in the alternative acquiring all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. Completed 2024 — Construct, furnish, equip, and/or acquire improvements at Newcastle Middle School Sports Complex to include but not be limited to: new restrooms and road improvements; or in the alternative acquiring all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. Restrooms completed 2024, road improvements in the planning stages — Construct, furnish, equip, and/or acquire improvements at Newcastle High School to include but not be limited to: new addition to include classrooms, secure/safety vestibule, office space, and cafeteria; new band room attached to the existing auditorium to also serve as a storm shelter; HVAC improvements in the main gym; improvements to the existing athletic facilities; additional parking and road improvements; improvements to the existing high school space to include certain classroom renovations, certain corridor renovations, certain restroom renovations, and certain façade renovations; or in the alternative acquiring all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. In progress. Band room completion date March 2026, HS completion date January 2027.
— Acquire HVAC equipment, electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, flooring improvements, lighting upgrades, security and safety equipment as needed and as funds allow throughout the District; or in the alternative to acquire all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. The following items have been purchased with this money: Weapons detectors, emergency radios, HVAC equipment, flooring for the east building at the HS, and lighting upgrades at the stadium.
— Acquire technology equipment and technology related items district- wide as needed and as funds allow to include but not be limited to student and staff devices, classroom instructional technology, and software licenses and software subscriptions; or in the alternative to acquire all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. Annual software subscriptions, laptops, Promethean Interactive boards, bus cameras, teacher surfaces, classroom desktop computers, security camera upgrades, upgrade district infrastructure.
— Acquire textbooks and other instructional materials and equipment district-wide as needed and as funds allow; or in the alternative to acquire all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. Math textbook adoption — Acquire band instruments, band equipment, and band uniforms district-wide as needed and as funds allow; or in the alternative to acquire all or a distinct portion thereof by lease purchase arrangement. Band uniforms and instruments have been purchased.
— Additional projects that are in the planning phases include locker room renovations at the baseball and softball field and a lighting project that would upgrade the lights at each school site to LED bulbs.
Finally, as our community and school district continue to grow the need for additional bonds will increase. Bonds pay for capital improvement projects that directly impact kids. When bonds do not pass, it hurts our kids.
I look forward to working with the bond committee to prepare a new bond resolution to present to the board in March.
Racer Proud,
Dr. Cathy Walker NPS Superintendent
