Why+Now?


 * WHY NOW?﻿ ** __** ﻿ **__ __** Bond Issue **__
 * The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus money funded the Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) used to finance about 75% of the project cost. The QSCB financing arrangement means that the district will repay slightly less the $15,000,000 allocated by PDE for the project including interest.


 * This financing is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the community to cover most of the cost of the project at a substantially lower cost to taxpayers, this method of financing essentially eliminates interest payments for the principal.


 * It should be noted that the New Castle Area School District was allocated this loan in a competitive application process involving about 300 school districts.


 * A decision to abandon the project would lose this financing, the available principal would be shifted to another deserving community.

__** Condition of Current Buildings **__


 * All the District’s primary buildings are in need of comprehensive upgrades. They range in age from 47 to 56 years old. There has not been a major upgrade to any of the four buildings since they were constructed. District maintenance personnel have performed alterations to the buildings as needed to accommodate the ebb and flow of enrollment however the alterations generally don't match the quality and durability of the original construction.


 * Major building components and systems have reached the end of their useful and practical life. These systems include roofing, boilers and unit ventilators, the water heating and storage system, plumbing fixtures, lighting and power systems and communications systems.


 * All of the schools are inefficient in terms of energy consumption.


 * To varying degrees the schools are not accessible for the disabled and the lack of code compliant accessibility of the schools poses a liability for the District in terms of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The U.S. Department of Justice no longer tolerates non-compliant facilities if citizen complaints are made.


 * The primary school's classroom configuration and organization does not support the current educational program which requires numerous intervention and break out spaces.

__** Declining Enrollment **__


 * The four school buildings total more floor area than is needed to accommodate the projected enrollment.


 * The size of the regular classrooms are in line with today's standards, but the aggregate number of classrooms in the four schools exceed the space requirements for the projected enrollment.


 * Ironically, the support spaces in the individual schools are smaller than needed for the current needs. For example, the multipurpose rooms in each building are too small to accommodate the parents and family members for school programs, and the physical education program is limited in the current spaces.


 * Similar limitations pertain to other spaces. For example, the cafeteria spaces are cramped and over crowded. These limitations will persist even with the projected declining enrollment.