Uniontown board votes to float $8 million bond issue
Uniontown Area School Board voted Monday to float an $8 million bond issue that will cost property owners half a mill in taxes. The money is earmarked to start renovating the high school, a project that has been estimated to cost about $20 million.
John McShane of investment banker Arthurs, Lestrange & Company Inc. said bond market conditions have changed recently and interest rates are no longer at all-time lows, although he said the market is still favorable. He said the newest bond issue garnered interest rates in the range of 1.05 to 4.75 percent. He listed the cost to the district to issue the bonds at $36,500.
He said the property tax millage impact would be phased in over the next three years and total half a mill raise to the overall millage rate that currently stands at 11.76 mills.
To the property owner, the overall projected tax raise would mean an extra $5 for every $10,000 worth of assessed property value.
The vote was 7-1 with Director William Rittenhouse Jr. voting no. Director Nancy Herring at first passed on voting and then voted yes. Director Tammy Boyle was absent and all others voted yes.
Rittenhouse argued floating the bond issue now was a matter of “putting the cart before the horse.”
“We’re not 100 percent sure we know what we want to do in the high school,” Rittenhouse said.
Rittenhouse commented he was not saying he opposes the project or thinks it is inappropriate but he believes the bond issue is premature.
He questioned whether it may be best to borrow all the money needed for the high school renovations at once and save on related costs of issuing bonds.
Bond counsel Christopher Brewer said the school district already this year has taken out a $2 million tax anticipation loan and the new bond issue would total $10 million in new debt this year. He said staying at the $10 million level through the federal tax law makes it possible to offer investors a tax benefit.
Before the newest bond issue, the school board had borrowed $21 million in recent years toward district wide building renovations and construction.
They completed improvements to Franklin School and are newly finished with Wharton School. They have purchased a building to serve as the new site of the central offices and continued improvements to the stadium. In the works is a new Marclay School as well as renovation of Menallen School, a new roof for A.J. McMullen School and other capital improvements.
Sam Denney of project manager Fairchance Construction Co. said the stadium should be ready for the first home football game.
Director Ronald Machesky talked about parking for football games during construction work. He said security officers will be checking the Wilson Avenue parking entrance for permit parking. He said other areas will be available including the school district’s new parking lot at the former Bryson Motors site.
In other business, the school board hired several new employees for the upcoming school year.
They hired Mary Jean Krajacic as a school nurse for Lafayette School and the mountain area schools, Danielle Nuccetelli as a fourth grade elementary teacher at Lafayette School, Jennifer Hercik as a fourth grade Title I elementary teacher at Lafayette School, Tiffany Hostetler as an elementary teacher for the Title I computer lab at Marclay School, Amy Gergely as a learning support teacher for A.J. McMullen School, Vanessa DiCianna as a librarian at Lafayette School and Leslie Yarish as an elementary teacher with the school to be assigned.
Superintendent Charles Machesky commended the candidates for the positions, saying they met the highest standards and no one called school officials to ask for a job.
The school board accepted the resignation of Stephen E. Wilk as an elementary /Spanish teacher at A.J. McMullen School.
Among further matters, they voted to approve a settlement in the tax appeal case of Bruderhof Communities of Pennsylvania Inc. for property in Wharton Township. Solicitor Michael Brungo said the settlement is subject to approval also of Fayette County and Wharton Township officials. He declined after the meeting to reveal any details, saying the settlement is not yet finalized.
Machesky in his comments to the school board said the state Department of Education recently released a report on the progress schools are making toward the 2014 goal of the federal No Child left Behind Act of all students proficient in mathematics and reading.
He said newspaper accounts failed to mention four Uniontown schools were cited for making significant progress. He said those schools that were warned about student achievement primarily missed the goals for attendance. He said the school district has a new attendance policy that will be implemented to the fullest extent this school year in an effort to improve attendance.
Otherwise, he said the school district will work hard to meet the achievement goals.
Benjamin Franklin School was included in the education department’s report on the School Improvement list and the school district must offer parents and students the choice of attending another school within the district.