Creating a school district bond is far from an overnight process.
From the moment Jefferson City School District Superintendent Larry Linthacum started in July, he's been drawing up plans to resolve the district's overcrowded classrooms.
It's not an unknown issue within the district.
Belair and Pioneer Trails elementary schools and the Simonsen Ninth Grade Center are already above capacity.
If the district stays within its current building footprint, all the other school buildings are estimated to be over capacity by 2020, said Linthacum in a school board meeting Monday.
JCPS attempted to pass a $79 million bond issue in 2013 to build a new high school and elementary school, but the bond issue was rejected by voters.
Linthacum is in the midst of collecting information from every building in the district to determine what a new bond issue proposal should look like.
He's visited eight of 18 buildings to hear from staff what they say are the schools' needs. During staff sessions, he's asked faculty to come up with a solution for overcrowding on the elementary and secondary school levels as well as identifying one other district need.
He's expecting to complete his school visits by mid-October and will then meet with 23 department groups within the district to get their input.
In 2014, the school board received a recommendation from a facility planning group made up of 35 community stakeholders who researched and developed a recommendation for what the district needs.
The group of community members, business owners and faculty suggested a $140 million bond issue for a new high school, elementary school, major renovations at the existing high school and Callaway Elementary School, and redrawing the district boundaries, he said.
Linthacum wants to build upon that recommendation by hearing what faculty members think the bond issue should look like.
"I want to ensure folks that live and breathe it in our buildings feel their voice is heard," Linthacum said.
After meeting with all the faculty, Linthacum intends to meet with the facility planning group again in November or December with narrowed priorities as to what the bond should include.
Then, he said, it'll be the public's opportunity to weigh in on the bond issue and voice any questions or concerns.
In early January, he plans to host several town hall meetings at various locations so community members can hear a detailed report about the district's space needs and what the planning groups have recommended.
By that point, Linthacum will have a ballpark estimate as to what the bond issue might cost and how much taxes could increase. He intends to outline how the district came up with the recommendation and why it's necessary.
Linthacum said the public meetings will be part of building trust within the community.
"It's going to take time," he said. "If there's any doubt in the school system, (people) are going to vote no. Trust takes time. I like to say that it's like a 100-year-old oak tree. It takes 100 years to grow, but can be cut down in minutes. How do you develop trust? You meet with folks, be honest. If you mess up, you take responsibility for it."
After the community meetings, the school board will discuss the bond issue in mid-January with an architect to determine what will be written in the bond language.
Linthacum said the school board would like for the new bond issue to appear on one of the 2016 election ballots.
With the current schedule, the school board would be brushing up against the end-of-January deadline to write the bond issue for the April election.
It's too early to tell which ballot the bond issue could appear on, he said. It could appear in the April, August or November elections.
Neither Linthacum nor the school board will estimate a size for a bond issue yet. If it stays at the $140 million originally recommended, the tax increase for the average homeowner (a home worth $150,000) would be $365 a year in increased property taxes.
The current JCPS levy is $3.69 - the state average is $4.07.
"It's a lot of money," he said. "I realize that. I really do in my heart believe that if folks believe we've vetted the process, have open communication and that we're making a tax-tolerant recommendation, then they'd consider supporting us. I believe in kids. I believe in community, and I realize the seriousness of this."
Larry Linthacum's Bond Planning Timeline
Mid-October: Finish meeting with all 18 school buildings. Each school meeting has been to get input from teachers and faculty as to how they think the space needs should be resolved. He will also meet with about 23 district departments to hear what those faculty members think as well.
November to December: Meet with the facilities planning group that developed a recommendation in November 2014 for a bond issue. He plans to debrief the the group on what the teachers suggested and then prioritize what the bond issue should include.
January 2016: Host several town hall meetings at different locations in Jefferson City to present the overcrowding issues, explain what the different groups have recommended for the bond issue, how much the bond issue could cost and hear out any concerns or questions from the public.
Mid-January: Present all the information to the school board,which would meet with an architect to finalize what the bond issue should be and how much it will cost.