At its November 17, 2009 meeting, the LCPS Board of Education passed a resolution setting Tuesday, February 2, 2010 as the date for a $65 million bond issue and two mill levy election for the school district.
If approved by voters, the bond will pay for construction projects at nearly every school in the district. The mill levy will help pay for improvements to school buildings and school furnishings and will purchase property for future schools.
Superintendent Stan Rounds said there will be no tax rate increase if the bond and mill levy are passed. That’s because the school district continues to pay off bonds approved by voters in the past, keeping its tax rate the same, so that tax rates do not rise as new bonds are issued.
“These projects are vitally important to the current and future operation of the school district,” said LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds. “Some of our school buildings are more than 60 years old, and upgrades, renovations and expansions are essential if we are to keep all our schools fully functional, adequately furnished and large enough to keep pace with our growing enrollment. We also have to be concerned with providing new schools to keep pace with our growing enrollment,” he said. LCPS had a total enrollment of nearly 24,800 at the 40-day count in mid-October 2009, nearly 1,000 more students than the 2008 40-day count.
The Two Questions That Will Be on the February 2, 2010 Ballot
1. General Obligation Bond Question
Vote for one: For The School District Bonds (or) Against the School District Bonds
Shall the Board of Education of the Las Cruces School District No. 2, County of Doña Ana, State of New Mexico, be authorized to issue general obligation bonds of the District, in one series or more, in the aggregate principal amount not exceeding $65,000,000 for the purpose of erecting, remodeling, making additions to and furnishing school buildings; purchasing or improving school grounds; purchasing computer software and hardware for student use in public schools; providing matching funds for capital outlay projects funded pursuant to the Public School Capital Outlay Act; or any combination of these purposes, said bonds to be payable from general (ad valorem) taxes and to be issued and sold at such time or times upon such terms and conditions as the Board may determine?
2. Public School Capital Improvements (2 Mil) Tax Question
Vote for one: For the Public School Capital Improvements Tax (or) Against the Public School Capital Improvements Tax
Shall the Board of Education of the Las Cruces School District No. 2, County of Doña Ana, State of New Mexico, be authorized to impose a property tax of $2.00 per each $1,000.00 of net taxable value of the property allocated to the District under the Property Tax Code for the property tax years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, for the purpose of the following capital improvements in the District: erecting, remodeling, making additions to, providing equipment for or furnishing public school buildings; purchasing or improving public school grounds; maintenance of public school buildings or public school grounds, including the purchasing or repairing of maintenance equipment, participating in the facility information management system as required by the Public School Capital Outlay Act and including payments under contracts with regional education cooperatives for maintenance support services and expenditures for technical training and certification for maintenance and facilities management personnel, but excluding salary expenses of District employees; purchasing activity vehicles for transporting students to extracurricular school activities; or purchasing computer software and hardware for student use in public school classrooms?
Voting Precincts, Absentee and Early Voting, Registration Deadline
Election day voting will be conducted from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 in 28 consolidated precincts throughout the school district.
Absentee voting and in - person voting will be available from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. beginning Friday, January 8 and continuing through Friday, January 29, 2010 at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd. Election day voting will take place from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2, 2010.
Voters must be at least 18 years old and residents of the school district. The last day to register to be eligible to vote in the bond and mill levy election was January 5.
The election results will be canvassed on Thursday, February 4 and bond election results will be published on Sunday, February 7.
Voting Locations on Tuesday, February 2
Where to Vote on Feb. 2 — voting locations & precincts
Booker T. Washington Elem., 755 E. Chestnut: 28-Washington East, 29-Washington West, 32-Lucero, 35-City, 92-Hadley
Camino Real Middle, 2961 Roadrunner Pkwy.: 102-High Range NE, 112-East Mesa
Conlee Elem., 1701 Boston Dr.: 45-Lynn South, 46-Conlee North, 47-Bellamah, 94-Lynn North
Desert Hills Elem.,280 Roadrunner Pkwy.: 67-High Range West,
106-High Range SE
Doña Ana Elem., 400 E. Doña Ana School Road; 3-Rodey within the LCPS district, 4-Doña Ana West, 63–Hill, 85-Vista, 95-Rincon within LCPS district, 115-Doña Ana Cristo Rey
East PicachoElem., 4450 N. Hwy. 85: 86-San Ysidro, 87-Shalem Colony, 100-Old Picacho, 111-Radium Springs
Fairacres Elem., 4501 E. Picacho Ave.: 19-Fairacres within LCPS district, 21-Picacho Hills, 107-Fairacres Fire
Hermosa Heights Elem., 1655 E. Amador Ave.: 36-Hermosa Heights, 41-Bradley West, 93-Hermosa Heights East
Highland Elem., 4201 Emerald: 59-Jornada East, 61-Jornada West
Hillrise Elem., 1400 S. Curnutt St.: 68-Ridgecrest, 69-Majestic Ridge, 70-Telshor, 71-Candelight, 73-Buena Vida, 103-Foothills, 113-Roadrunner South
Jornada Elem., 3400 Elks Drive: 20-Elks Club North, 83-Elks Club East
Las Alturas Fire Station, 4145 Cholla Rd.: 54-University Campus,
74-Chaparral West within LCPS district, 77-Mission Bell, 104-Las Alturas North within LCPS district, 110-A-Mountain East, 114-Las Alturas South
Las Cruces Country Club, 2350 N. Main St.: 26-Country Club, 89-Elks Club South, 99-Elks Club West
Las Cruces High, 1755 El Paseo: 48-Valley View, 49-Las Cruces
MacArthur Elem.,655 N. Fourth St.: 37-Court, 38-MacArthur,
39-City Center,
Mayfield High, 1955 N. Valley Dr.: 22-San Andres, 23-Mayfield, 84-Carlton, 88-Southwind, 90-Camelot Gardens,
Mesilla Elem.,2363 Calle del Sur, Mesilla:18-Mesilla, 40-Valley, 108-South Valley
New Covenant Fellowship, 20 Holy Cross Rd.: 7-Pecan Valley North, 79-Mesquite North within LCPS district, 96-Pecan Valley South within LCPS district,
Sierra Middle, 1700 E. Spruce: 27-Loma Heights West, 33-Encantada, 34-Sierra, 91-Loma Heights East
Sonoma Elem., 4201 Northrise Drive: 62-Doña Ana SE 1-25, 109-Sonoma
Sunrise Elem., 5300 N. Holman Rd.: 5-Moongate, 6-Organ South within LCPS district, 64-Organ North within LCPS district, 65-North Hwy. 70, 66-Butterfield Park, 105-Dona Ana NE 1-25
Telshor/Missouri Fire Station, 2802 E. Missouri: 72-University Terrace
82-San Miguel within LCPS district, 98-Mesilla South 101-Tombaugh
University Hills Elem., 2005 S. Locust St.: 50-University Hills West, 51-University Hills East, 52-Conlee South, 53-University Baptist, 55-Mesilla Park, 58-University Park
Zia Middle, 1300 W. University Ave.: 56-Mesilla Park North, 57-Mesilla Park South
LCPS Bond and Mil Levy Election History
Las Cruces Public Schools has the good fortune to rely on the community's support to build new schools. Each bond issue held since the 1950s has passed by a comfortable majority. The district has opened 12 schools since 1982 because of a growing enrollment.
Contact LCPS Director of Communications Jo Galván at (575) 527-5811 or e-mail .
Definition of Terms
General Obligation Bond
G.O. bonds are debt instruments issued by a governmental or corporate entity, in this case, Las Cruces Public Schools, to raise funds for public works and capital expenditures. The issuer (LCPS) guarantees the repayment of principal and interest.
Capital Outlay
Expenditures that result in the acquisition of or addition to fixed assets, ie, land acquisition, building and construction, addition, renovation.
Mil Levy
Property tax, or millage tax, is a tax that a property owner is required to pay on the value of his/her property. A mil is one-thousandth of a currency unit (or one-tenth of one cent). A tax rate of two mils per thousand means $2 of taxes per $1,000 of the taxable value of the property. Taxable value is one-third of the assessed value of the property.
At its November 17, 2009 meeting, the LCPS Board of Education passed a resolution setting Tuesday, February 2, 2010 as the date for a $65 million bond issue and two mill levy election for the school district.
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