Now that local voters wisely and generously approved the $59.8 million school plant facilities levy, the board of trustees of the Blaine County School District must see to it that promises made become promises kept.
When school Superintendent Lonnie Barber presented the facts of the levy to various groups prior to the election, he promised that the district would not build a new elementary school unless it can be justified by a higher number of students.
He also promised that insofar as it is possible—and it is possible—the district would spend the levy funds with local businesses. He said, "We think that 80 percent of the money will come right back into the community."
Barber said the district would advise local businesses, primarily contractors and suppliers, on how to get the proper certifications to work on public projects, including remodels and new facilities.
The school board should go even further than merely keeping promises. It should tell the public it's keeping them.
The board should issue an annual report to taxpayers—beyond its customary budget—that specifies exactly how the levy money was spent, how much the district saved by not borrowing and paying interest on the money used, and how the expenditures benefited the local economy.
The report should list the numbers of local workers employed by the various projects funded by the levy. It should list any new businesses that moved to the area that cited the quality of local schools as a major factor in their choice of location.
It also should delineate any services and products purchased outside the area because they were not available locally.
Of course, the report should delineate the benefits of the expenditures for the community, families and students.
For example, the report should describe how new security devices make the schools safer for students and teachers. It should discuss how new technologies improve learning and better prepare students to succeed in the complex society of the 21st century.
It should explain the energy savings realized with the installation of new heating and cooling systems.
Annual reports would go a long way toward cementing the district's strong partnership with taxpayers.
Unlike levies used only to build new schools, this levy is such a grab bag of projects, it's going to be difficult for taxpayers to see its benefits. Regular, well-publicized and circulated reports will ensure that the public trust and support for schools exhibited in the levy election will remain strong far into the future.
