Clarkston Community Schools — and the taxpayers — will save about $10 million on the bond issue approved June 9.
Action by the board of education on July 23 led to sale of $83.7 million worth of bonds at 4.7 percent interest, well below the 5.5 percent estimated at the time of the election.
Anita Banach, director of marketing and communications for the district, said the combination of the lower interest rate and the subsequent reduction in the amount needed from the state’s bond loan fund means about $10 million less to be added to the district’s capital improvement debt.
The bonds are underwritten by UBS Financial Services Inc., who Superintendent Al Roberts said took an “aggressive market approach.”
Meanwhile the board also voted to start spending bond money right away, granting bids for roof replacement and new computer technology.
The district will spend $1,133,825 for repairs to roofs at Sashabaw Middle School and Pine Knob, North Sashabaw and Bailey Lake elementary schools.
Bruce Beamer, executive director of business and financial services, said the replacement is needed because of deck installation problems. Because of the potential for roof deck deterioration, the replacement is considered an emergency.
Work was expected to begin almost immediately, and Beamer said work should be complete before classes begin at the three elementary buildings. Roof work at Sashabaw Middle School should be complete by Sept. 5.
The district will pay Dell Marketing LP $189,490 to replace approximately 200 computers at Clarkston High School.
According to Matt McCarty, executive director of technology, replacement of old computers was “one of the key components” in the technology portion of the new bond issue. Most CHS computers are entering their sixth year of service, McCarty said, staff and lab computers “have been heavily used.”
The bid from Dell was not technically the low bid. Bill Craig, executive vice president of the Wright and Hunter consulting firm hired to help the district with technology purchases, said a bid from DynTek Services Inc. (originally submitted at $165,520) had to be revised up to $178,720 “to make it compliant with bid specifications.”
McCarty also said the Dell bid deserved consideration because of the style of case offered and previous experience with Dell computers.
In spending unrelated to bond issues, the board voted to approve a one-year contract extension to the vendors who provide ice cream, milk and bread products to the district’s food service program.
Food service supervisor Janet Allen said a consortium consisting of the Clarkston, Brandon, Lake Orion and Oxford districts contacted the vendors to seek extension of current bids, and all three agreed to maintain the same prices offered in 2002-2003.