SYSTEMATIC VOTER SUPPRESSION?
Below is what we’ve learned about the KNOWN attempts of what appears to be efforts at Systematic Voter Suppression by both Superintendent Simon and the Rapid City Board of Education. What else has been concealed from the voters?
In a RCJ article written by South Dakota House Representative Tim Goodwin Goodwin: RCAS plans February vote to keep voters away
An article in The South Dakota Standard written by Jay Davis Jay Davis discusses the pushback against a plan to move polling places out of Rapid City's public schools.
In a RCJ article written by Tonchi Weaver Mean Girls vs. Deplorables
In a RCJ article written by Jay Davis and Tonchi Weaver Bond issue could be a Trojan Horse for taxpayers
BOND ISSUE COULD BE A TROJAN HORSE FOR TAXPAYERS - DOWNLOAD HERE
THE PROPOSED CLOSING OF RAPID CITY HIGH SCHOOL (RCHS) AS AN ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL
** WE STRONGLY SUPPORT KEEPING THE ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION IN THE RAPID CITY HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING!! **
At the 10/28/2019 Rapid City Board of Education meeting where the $189.553 million school bond was approved by the RCBOE, it was also announced that Rapid City High School would no longer be used as an alternative high school and that the building would be converted to an “elementary school.” It was also announced that the Alternative High School program would be relocated to a “new location to be determined.”
Rapid City High School has been a lifeline for at-risk students, helping them to ‘hang in there’ and graduate. The flexibility, individual attention and central location for students who lack transportation have made RCHS a successful community asset. The school bond evicts RCHS from its present location with no plan for relocation.
Consider the facts and ramifications of the decision to close Rapid City High School as an Alternative High School:
(1) If approved by the voters, the proposed $189.553 million bond will result in the eviction of 324 current at-risk high school students (plus incoming students) from RCHS with no credible plan for relocation. Further, these same students would be left without a clear path to graduation. This is both unacceptable and very bad policy.
(2) RCHS is a four-story building encompassing 194,970 gross square feet (gsf). For an elementary school occupancy, this building would have a capacity of 973 elementary students per MGT utilization factors. Further, it is hard to envision how having elementary students climbing up to three flights of stairs everyday is either efficient or effective.
(3) RCHS is an extremely valuable, well maintained, and historical building centrally located in Rapid City for ease of access for the high school student population that it currently serves, particularly those who lack a means of personal transportation. The RCHS building was originally constructed in 1923 and named President Coolidge High School and Junior High. The building's auditorium was originally constructed in 1937.
(4) The last major renovation for this building cost $18.75 million and was completed in August 2013. As a result, the building is in excellent condition with a weighted average condition score of 84.57 from MGT (the second highest of the 23 buildings in the school district, right behind the recently constructed East Middle School).
(5) On page 84 of the MGT Report, Supporting Recommendation 3 Examining District Administration Facility Alternatives stated, “This possibility should be thoroughly examined in order to determine the pros and cons of each option both in terms of administrative efficiencies and long term cost savings. The possibility of combining district functions at one site, thereby decreasing the need for multiple locations, could be to the District’s advantage both operationally and financially. Possible locations include: Utilizing unused space at Rapid City High School.” Why wasn't this highly viable option pursued? Why is the RCAS Administration spending untold millions of dollars (exact amount never disclosed to the public) for tenant fit-out of the Rapid City Education Center in the YMCA building (former Black Hills Energy headquarters building) and locked RCAS taxpayers into a long-term lease (terms of which were also not disclosed to the public)? As usual, RCAS puts Administration WANTS above the Students' NEEDS!
Newscenter1 article dated 11/15/2019 describes the alternative high school program at RCHS, Rapid City High School data shows positive growth, says supportive school culture is the reason
Newscenter1 article dated 12/15/2017 describes how the alternative program at RCHS works for students, Rapid City High School celebrates fifth birthday
THE MECHANICS OF THE $290.6 $309.5 MILLION (PRINCIPAL + INTEREST) RCSD 51-4 SCHOOL BOND
Taxpayers for Sensible School Bonds has been calling in PUBLIC (since 1/16/2020) for RCAS to release ALL material details and documents on the mechanics of the proposed RCSD 51-4 $189.553 million school bond.
RCAS administration continues to intentionally withhold MATERIAL and CRITICAL information regarding the mechanics of the RCSD 51-4 $189.553 million school bond. The fact this information is withheld results in the taxpayers/voters NOT being able to quantify the exact cost of the issuance of the RCSD 51-4 $189.553 million school bond. What are they trying to hide from the taxpayers/voters? Why are they impeding the voters from making an informed decision in the polling booth? The taxpayers/voters should DEMAND an IMMEDIATE information release of the bond mechanics which includes but is not limited to the following:
(1) Is the School Bond being issued in a single series or multiple series? If multiple, how many series, what amount, and what issue date?
(2) The Proposed School Bond Amortization table for each year of the 25 year life of the bond (provide for all series issued).
(3) The assumed growth rate for the RCSD 51-4 Property Tax Base Valuation for EACH YEAR of the 25-year life of the Proposed School Bond.
(4) The Proposed School Bond Indenture (provide full document for all series issued).
(5) Official documents issued by RCAS “financial consultants” (Dougherty & Company, Northland Securities, and Meierhenry Sargent LLP) including the expected Interest Rate of the bond (range), the expected Selling Price of the bond, quantify the impact of the amortization method selected (Deferred Principal Repayment Switch to Percentage Increase Principal Repayment) on both the expected Interest Rate and the expected Selling Price of the bond, the source and estimate use of the backup Cash Flow (General Revenue fund or Capital Outlay fund) for the 25 year life of the bond (provide all this information for all series issued).
In a RCJ article written by Bill Freytag Creative ways to solve school building issues
CREATIVE WAYS TO SOLVE SCHOOL BUILDING ISSUES - DOWNLOAD HERE
CONCLUSIONS – EIGHT EXCELLENT REASONS TO VOTE NO ON THE SCHOOL BOND!
(1) We think this website has proven beyond any doubt that the Rapid City Board of Education and the Rapid City School District 51-4 simply have not been honest with the parents and the taxpayers/voters as there have been far too many “false narratives” generated by both entities with no basis in fact. Chapter 16, verse 10 of the Book of Luke addresses this situation directly. LU 16:10 (KJV) “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
(2) The Rapid City Board of Education simply did NOT conduct the due diligence required of a fiduciary with regards to this proposed School Bond. Making methodical and prudent decisions would dictate that professional judgments are made with independent thought, the upmost of care, and with the best available information available. We have seen no indication that any of this has occurred in the case of the $290.6 $309.5 million (Principal + Interest) proposed RCSD 51-4 School Bond and hence that is the precise reason why this bond is being opposed. The taxpayers simply cannot afford fundamental mistakes to be made on a decision of this magnitude. The Rapid City Board of Education failed in their fiduciary duty to the students, the parents, and the taxpayers.
(3) We’ve learned that RCSD 51-4 K-12 demographics in a DECLINING trendline, and school overcrowding is simply not an issue in a school district with 2,398 “empty seats” districtwide or 84.0% utilization (70% to 84.99% is considered underutilized) as of the 2020-2021 school.
(4) RCSD 51-4 districtwide academic performance is below the state average across the board and has declined three years straight under the current Superintendent.
(5) We’ve learned about the KNOWN attempts of what appears to be Systematic Voter Suppression by both Superintendent Simon and the Rapid City Board of Education. The question voters should be asking is, “Why doesn’t the Superintendent and RCBOE want the voices of the voters/taxpayers to be heard on the largest School Bond in South Dakota history?”
(6) We’ve learned that if the School Bond is approved by the voters, 342 current at-risk high school students (plus incoming students) will be evicted from Rapid City High School with no credible plan for relocation. Further, these same students would be left without a clear path to graduation. This is both unacceptable and very bad policy. As usual, RCAS puts Administration WANTS above the Students' NEEDS!
(7) We’ve learned that the School Bond Ballot Language is too general, broad, and open-ended in nature which leaves almost unlimited discretion to the Rapid City Board of Education and RCSD 51-4 administration to spend the bond proceeds on “anything and everything” they desire. This is a blank check and the voters have not been provided the required ballot (contractual) language to truly know what they are voting on!
(8) As noted above, RCAS administration continues to intentionally withholding MATERIAL and CRITICAL information regarding the mechanics of the RCSD 51-4 $189.553 million school bond from the taxpayers/voters. Just this fact alone should result in an automatic NO vote from all informed taxpayers/voters. The BURDEN OF PROOF REMAINS on the Rapid City Area School District and the Rapid City Board of Education to provide this critical information to the VOTERS!