January 21, 2025
Sen. Rita Sanders, Chairperson
Sen. Bob Andersen
Sen. John Cavanaugh
Sen. Dunixi Guereca
Sen. Megan Hunt
Sen. Dan Lonowski
Sen. Dan McKeon
Sen. Dave Wordkemper
The Lincoln Public School District submits this letter in opposition to LB 135 eliminating school district access to special elections for bond issues. The Lincoln Public School District maintains 81 facilities; over eight million square feet, and sites spanning over 1,167 acres. It is imperative to maintain a thoughtful lifecycle plan. Facilities become more costly if they are not well maintained and the burden on taxpayers would increase over time.
In Lincoln, voters approved bond-funded investments in the school district’s 10-year Facility and Infrastructure Plan most recently in 2006, 2014, and 2020. The plan includes investments in new schools to keep pace with growth, investments in updated programs, investments in security infrastructure, and necessary investments in facility and site infrastructure such as roof replacements, HVAC and electrical equipment replacements, caulking and sealants, parking lot overlays, etc. Well-functioning HVAC systems, non-leaky roofs, and accommodating facilities matter in ensuring schools are functional and safe to promote student learning.
Special Elections can save taxpayers money. Schools are able to plan special elections to access the most desirable timeline for taxpayers in bidding projects. In 2020, LPS conservatively estimated $2,000,000 in cost savings with a February election. The district was able to get into the 2020 construction market early instead of an election later in the Spring or Fall which would have pushed construction back to late/off-season or delayed the project a full year. Cost escalations based on timing delays when you are planning hundreds of millions in construction work adds up to big numbers pretty quickly.
The Lincoln Public School District requests that you not advance LB 135 due to the detrimental impact on
school facilities across the state.
Sincerely,
Liz Standish
Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs
Lincoln Public Schools
