From Silver Consolidated Schools Superintendent William Hawkins.
Silver Schools receive funding from the PED for daily operations of instruction and staffing, and from local taxes for facilities maintenance. We face critical needs for costly repairs and replacements. Approval of the August 20th bond would allow us to apply for a Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC) waiver. This waiver would enable us to meet mill requirements and request a higher percentage of state funds, aiding in building a new campus in Cliff and addressing significant issues at other campuses, such as roofs, plumbing, and HVAC systems. To qualify, our total bonding capacity over the next four years must exceed the local match for upcoming projects. Currently, Silver has $62 million in needs but only approximately $4.7 million available over the next five years. Additionally, the district must be at least 10 mills. If approved, the total project value would be $73,632,956, comprising Silver Schools recurring HB 33 funds of $4,776,940, a community supported Bond of $24,000,000, and a potential State PSCOC waiver contribution up to $44,856,016. For as little as $5.69 a month, this is huge for our schools and community.
Communities such as Gallup ($398.9 million), Gadsden ($249.8 million), Albuquerque ($230.6 million), Las Cruces ($214.7 million), Farmington ($184.3 million), Los Lunas ($129.5 million), Deming ($126.6 million), Roswell ($124.9 million), Clovis ($117.3 million), and Rio Rancho ($98.6 million) have leveraged significantly higher PSCOC state funding through waivers, and we have the opportunity to do the same within the next 2 years for Cliff Schools and other facility needs in Silver.
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