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Central Point School District plans to put a bond levy on the May 21 ballot at an amount "not to exceed $82 million," but they say homeowners won't pay any more in taxes than they do now. "Our community has been very clear that they want our students to be safe and comfortable without increasing their taxes," said Cathy Salmon, chair of the Central Point School Board. "I'm very hopeful we can accomplish this with the bond we are presenting." The board approved the language for a ballot title at its Feb. 19 meeting, and district officials filed the title with the Jackson County clerk. No notices of challenge have been filed against the title, and the district is moving forward with an explanatory statement, due by March 21. District officials have stressed two main priorities in considering the bond. The first is to not raise the tax rate from the current bond, set to expire in 2020, which is $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed value. That totals $402.50 annually on a house valued at $350,000. “We’re effectively renewing the bond,” said Spencer Davenport, chief financial officer for the district. “They’re not going to be paying any additional tax.” Secondly, officials have said they will ensure that the bond improves facilities at every school in the district, not just a few campuses. Many of those projects are utilitarian, needs from an accumulation of years. Three of the district’s schools were built before the first moon landing. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems all need improvements. “Even right here in this school, it looks pretty good,” said Bret Moore, a school board member, standing in the lobby at Mae Richardson Elementary School before a Tuesday night board meeting. “But it’s over 50 years old, and so certain things are just not quite up to what they need to be for having been used for that long.” The number of projects the district will be able to complete while keeping those commitments depends on a variety of factors ranging from interest rates to construction costs to whether the school district’s tax base expands over the lifetime of the bond. The current tax rate is lower than it used to be; the district refinanced the bond twice to bring down costs, thanks in part to an increase in population since the bond passed in 2000. Safety upgrades make up a significant portion of the projects — replacing aged infrastructure, updating campuses that were designed with a different attitude about security, and adding features ranging from cameras to more sophisticated lock mechanisms. Autumn Chadbourne, a board member of a facilities committee made up of district staff and community members, including parents, said the preparatory work in the committee makes her confident the proposed projects are in line with the desires of the district’s constituents. “Understanding what our community would support makes all the difference in the world,” she said. “Parents know all too well the improvements that need to be made, and their voice is a big part of this.” The committee members and the board attended parent-teacher organization meetings and contracted with a Portland firm to conduct two polls to gauge responses to potential proposals. It’s how the board learned that voters wouldn’t support any increase in taxes. All that input makes board members feel confident that their bond will pass. “I think it’s important that we continue to engage community members, continue to get their input,” Chadbourne said. “As we continue to do that and build those relationships, everyone will get on board.” Reach Mail Tribune reporter Kaylee Tornay at [email protected] or 541-776-4497. Follow her on Twitter @ka_tornay.