Accuracy of info on school-bond progress questioned

Debra D. Bass

Friday, April 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Bracing themselves for a new multimillion-dollar bond question, some members of the school district's Bond Oversight Committee are concerned about the accuracy of information on the current bond program.

Committee member Alan Lewis was skeptical of a press release that said "all work is progressing on schedule and within budget." The release also credited the district with "accommodating" a third middle school and remaining within budget.

In reality, the third middle school, partially funded with a private donation, will cost the district $15 million in bond funds, an expense that was not within budget. To accommodate the school, the district is talking of downsizing the third high school, which has not yet been sited, or building the school as an addition to the Community College of Southern Nevada's Henderson campus.

"The news release says that everything is going well and within budget and according to schedule, but (Superintendent) Brian Cram is saying we might have to downsize the last high school," Lewis said.

Fred Smith, the district's assistant superintendent for facilities, said, "We're short. We realize that we're short," and any implications to the contrary in the news release were unintentional.

He said the key word in the release, prepared by a private public relations firm under contract by the district's construction manager, is "accommodate."

Lewis said that just from reading the release, he hoped the public wasn't getting the wrong impression that everything is running smoothly when it isn't.

Committee member George Cantu said the district would be "running the risk of a public relations disaster if we aren't doing what we are telling the public we are doing."

Bob Broadbent, who chairs the committee, countered that the program is well under control. The new construction program is running well and the district hasn't bid enough modernization projects "to be in trouble," he said.

By the end of April, school children will be bringing home fliers about renovations at their school using 1994 bond funds. The fliers will also include an update on the general bond program, cost savings and where the money will go.

The fliers will define the role of the Parsons-Fleming-Taylor construction management team, which the district retained to oversee the program, but will not mention that the firm was hired at a cost of $23 million.

The last bond issue was widely criticized when the district came up short on the number of schools promised to voters. Lewis said the key to a successful program is being open and honest with the public -- which will likely not forgive and forget when they visit the polls to vote for the upcoming bond issue.

On Tuesday, the School Board will discuss a $225 million tax-neutral bond referendum in November, with a second part that will seek a $25 tax increase on a $100,000 home for an additional $275 million. But district officials insist that the figures are only "initial assessments."

"The figures are subject to change. The tax-neutral window is narrowing as we go along," said Michael Alastuey, the district's assistant superintendent for business and finance.

Smith said the agenda item "is a vehicle to start the discussion. This just represents staff's initial unrefined assessment."