School bond debate begins

Six out of 10 Douglas County residents interviewed outside a Gardnerville grocery store on Thursday said they will support Douglas County School District's continuance bond, which will appear on the November ballot.

"I have two grandkids in the schools here, and I want them to have the best," said 57-year-old Gardnerville resident Mary Muller.

If approved, the bond would fund about $43 million worth of capital improvement projects.

Priority projects compiled last year by the Keep Improving Douglas Schools committee include replacing underground gas lines at Gardnerville Elementary School, replacing an asbestos-containing roof at Carson Valley Middle School, and renovating fire alarm systems district-wide.

Two residents said they will vote against the measure.

"It sounds like the government spending so they won't lose funding," said 62-year-old Topaz Ranch Estates resident Vin Summerlin. "It strikes me as asinine."

The school district currently levies 85 cents per $100 of assessed value in property tax, and 10 cents of that is a special debt service tax, guaranteed by having outstanding bond payments, that funds capital improvement projects.

When the district's existing bonds retire in 2011, they will lose that 10-cent rate unless another bond is passed.

Another county entity would likely grab the tax rate if lost. Consequently, property owners' tax bills would remain the same.

"This doesn't change taxes, but just keeps them going where they need to go," said 50-year-old Pau-Wa-Lu teacher Jim Abbott. "Without the bond, our schools will deteriorate."

Two residents said they were undecided because they didn't know enough about the issue. For the same reason, a Gardnerville resident said she'd vote against it.

"I don't have kids, and I just don't know enough about it," said 58-year-old Sarah Lawrence.

Residents with children were more supportive.

"I still got another kid going through the schools," said 41-year-old Caren Fraser, also of Gardnerville. "We need to do what we can."