Carlsbad asks millions for new schools

CARLSBAD, N.M. (KRQE) - Out with the old, in with the new, or at least that's what school officials in southeast New Mexico hope voters agree with.

They are asking taxpayers to spend millions of dollars to tear down a group of schools and build all new ones, and they say it will actually help save money in the long run.

As kids return to school in Carlsbad, school officials envision them stepping into brand new facilities if voters decide to approve a $60 million bond issue.

"Most of this bond, 75 percent or so, would be paid because of increase in oil and gas and increases in potash," Carlsbad Municipal Schools Superintendent Gary Perkowski said. "Really, the residential people in Carlsbad would only have to pay about 25 percent of this bond issue."

The money would go toward completely replacing at least four elementary schools over the next few years. Some students may be consolidated into newer, bigger facilities.

"The time has come where we can't have schools with 200-250 kids," Perkowski continued.  "We're going to have to go to schools with about 600-650.

"It just saves us so much money to do that."

Perkowski said most of the elementary schools they'd like to see upgraded were built more than 50 years ago. One was built in 1924, and another, Sunset Elementary, was built in 1952.

The newest elementary school in Carlsbad was built in 1956, he added.

Because they're so old, Perkowski said the buildings are causing problems like a repair projects this summer where workers ran into asbestos issues.

"We're looking at some projects that are $20,000 that cost us $120,000 by the time we get the asbestos abated," Perkowski said. "Our kids deserve better in Carlsbad; they deserve to have better schools than this."

Each new school would be state-of-the-art, he said, with modern technology in the classrooms.

Joseph Stanley Smith Elementary School would be replaced with the new Sunset Elementary built on the same property. A new facility would replace Puckett Elementary, and another would replace Riverside Elementary.

The superintendent said no students or teachers would be displaced during construction.

"If (voters) pass it, we'll be able to make this project work.  If they don't pass it, we'll go back to the drawing board, and our kids won't have new schools," said Perkowski. "I just hope the people in Carlsbad understand how important it is to aid our kids' education and improve it."

The bond will be presented to voters in February in the general election. If approved, ground will be broken on two new schools next year and two more in 2015.