Improvements to the learning environment would provide the basic needs of reliable water, air conditioning, and power. When 30- to 50 year-old systems are replaced, the new systems will increase efficiencies, saving energy and operation costs.

The projects support improved technology in the classroom. Today's students will enter a high-tech workforce. Jobs from automotive to medicine rely on computers, yet some older classrooms have only one electrical outlet and cannot support computers or other electronic teaching tools.

Overcrowding will be addressed. The intense population growth that more than doubled the number of students in the past 20 years has slowed down, and now the focus shifts to essential repairs and equity in our schools. However, certain areas are growing, and this program will address overcrowding with the construction of two new schools where needed most.

When a major business considers moving to Clark County, the quality of education is often a factor. Safe and functioning schools play a vital role in building a strong community, helping to stimulate economic development and attracting new jobs as companies seek an educated workforce.

In addition to benefiting our students, the plan will result in local jobs, putting people to work and putting money back into our community.

This "pay as you go" approach provides for projects as funds are collected, for up to six years. Funds go directly and solely to school improvements, without the issuance of bonds or incurring debt. These funds cannot be used to pay for teacher salaries or operating expenses.

The PAYGO plan focuses on just the most critical school needs within the county's 357 schools that serve more than 308,000 students and cover more than 33 million square feet. While the average home may have one or two air conditioning units, CCSD has more than 6,000 heating, venting and air conditioning units; 25 HVAC systems are in dire need and are included in the plan.

The 21-cent increase in property tax would cost the average owner of a $100,000 home approximately $6.19 per month. That means, for the cost of about one fast-food 'combo' meal a month or two specialty coffees, property owners can make a difference for our children.

Funding is necessary for these critical needs. The 1998 ten-year bond program, with good management, successfully provided for capital improvements for the past 14 years. However, the capacity for new bonds is not estimated until 2018. In light of the economic downturn, the school board did not pursue a new program in 2008. With economic recovery emerging, the time for a capital improvement program is now, since PAYGO funds will not begin supporting school improvements until the fall of 2013.

No. The current debt obligation from the 1998 program will begin to expire in 2018. At that time, the tax rate would begin to decline.

Capital improvement plans, or CIP, for the school district addresses the major needs of school buildings. The proposed plan takes a "pay-as-you-go" approach to fund vital needs as funds accumulate, without loans or long-term debt. Capital assets, a common term in business, represent long-term property and equipment that can add value, with the expense depreciated over the life of the asset. At CCSD, these include the large systems, such as plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical and security that support the buildings and wear out over time.

In Nevada and a short list of other states, the major needs are not included in the daily operating budget, known as the General Fund. The cost of staying at a hotel covers both expenses and profit for the company - everything from salaries, supplies, energy costs, room cleaning, maintenance both big and small, system repairs and replacements. The school district's General Fund covers teachers, salaries, supplies, energy costs, cleaning and minor maintenance, but it does not provide for major or capital expenses such as the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical and security systems in the 2012 plan.

A bond program allows an entity to issue certificates to raise money, and the levy goes to pay for the issuance of bonds and related debt, which is interest to the buyers of the bonds. The proposed Pay-As-You-Go capital improvement plan is shorter term, smaller plan, and the levy goes directly to the school projects without the issuance of bonds and payment of debt.

The capacity for new bonds is not estimated until 2018. The 1998, ten-year bond program was successful, but a new bond program was not pursued in 2008, due to the early stages of the economic downturn. The Board of School Trustees reviewed the situation regularly and selected the "pay-as-you-go" option this year. There are indicators that the economy is improving, and no funds exist for the capital projects identified in the 2012 plan.

Yes. In 1985 and 1996, the voters approved similar "pay-as-you-go" plans. The 1985 program provided $60 million for school needs, and the 1996 program provided $642 in school projects.

In Nevada, each county addresses support for schools' capital needs. Going before the voters allows the community to have a voice in an initiative that will have a direct impact on the community and its future leaders.

If the ballot question is not supported by the voters, as systems fail at our schools, the money to repair and replace will have to come from the operating budget, which will require cutting existing programs, or increasing class sizes.

The School Improvement Committee is a group of community volunteers who support County Question 2. Formed by four former Nevada first ladies - Sandy Miller, Bonnie Bryan, Dema Guinn and Dawn Gibbons - and funded by donations, the committee prepares ads and other support for the capital improvement plan.

Each need merits individual consideration. Education is fundamental to the health of the local community and a vibrant economy, and students hold our collective future and the potential to meet each need.

Better schools build better communities and benefit the entire community. The schools, located in our neighborhoods throughout the county, literally represent community assets.

In addition to providing much-needed relief for failing roofs, electrical, HVAC, alarms, plumbing and other practical systems, the capital improvement plan will provide:

• Local jobs
• Equity for our schools
• Improved energy and operational efficiencies as the 30- to 50-year-old systems are replaced
• Support for technology, as part of the core education standards implemented in 45 states and essential to prepare students for a technology-driven workforce
• Relief for overcrowding
• Learning environments with a direct impact on academic achievement

Facilities support student achievement. Various studies confirm the role of buildings as a precondition for learning, and researchers have found a 5 to 17 percentile points difference in student achievement between students in schools with poor building conditions and those in buildings in excellent condition, with socioeconomic status factored in the studies.

CCSD is committed to improving student achievement and implemented measures have put the district on path to boost test scores and graduation rates. While teachers and curriculum are vital aspects, a school environment with sufficient heating, air, plumbing, electrical and roofing supports the educational reform under way at CCSD.

Decisions related to schools' capital projects are made in public meetings and are guided by established regulations, policies and procedures. To determine priorities once funds become available, a list will be developed using the facility condition index, or FCI, a benchmark to compare estimated costs of repairs and renovations to the replacement value. Identified projects go to bid in a formal process.

CCSD has a proven track record of successful, fiscally-responsible capital improvement programs, and the district's building program has become a national model of success.

In Nevada and a short list of other states, the capital needs are not included in the daily operating budget. To use operating funds, or if the ballot question is not supported by the voters, the money to repair and replace systems that fail at our schools will take away from the classroom, requiring cutting existing programs or increasing class sizes. Nevada's basic per pupil funding is the leanest and last in the nation, yet education is good value for preparing students to become working, contributing members of the community.

With current reports on economic recovery taking shape, the lead time for a capital improvement plan is now, since funds will not begin supporting the school improvements until the fall of 2013.

With the proposed Pay-As-You-Go Plan, funds would not come in all at once but will be received and spent over its six-year span. If adopted, the initiative would take effect beginning in July 2013, and nothing would come to the district until October 2013, when the greatest needs would be identified and projects would begin.

Retaining the rate of the 1998 bond program, which was for 10 years and ended in 2008, would also require a ballot initiative to go before the voters, and the capacity for more bonds is not estimated until 2018. The current proposal is a distinct plan for a smaller, shorter term "bridge" to address the most critical needs until long-term needs can be addressed.

No. The election resolution limits the funds and states that the proceeds "are to be used only for the capital projects for schools, including but not limited to, acquiring sites for schools and acquiring, constructing, and equipping school improvements and replacements."

The District cannot use these funds for any other purpose other than for what goes before the voters, unless the Nevada Legislature changes the law or directs otherwise.

There is no debt service related to the Pay-As-You-Go capital improvement plan. Debt service, or interest owed to purchasers of bonds from the 1998 program, will continue to be covered by the mandatory reserves specific to that purpose.

Local jobs will result from the projects on the CIP list, putting the money back into our community and putting people to work, who in turn purchase goods and services.

Education also plays a vital role to build a strong community and to attract businesses and jobs as companies seek an educated workforce.

Local jobs will result from the projects on the CIP list, putting the money back into our community and putting people to work, who in turn purchase goods and services.

Education also plays a vital role to build a strong community and to attract businesses and jobs as companies seek an educated workforce.

The list of projects can be found at here. Detailed equipment lists and cost estimates are not provided in order to get the best price and retain the integrity of the project bid process.

The 2012 capital improvement plan will not cover the more substantial long-term needs identified by the schools, the facility condition index, the formal technology plan or other previous sources.

The proposed plan is a bridge to cover only the most critical needs. A chart presented at the Board of School Trustees meeting on April 26, 2012, shows the distinction between the projects funded by the 1998 program, the proposed plan/bridge projects and the remaining unfunded needs.

While specific circumstances can change, schools are regularly monitored through site observations and evaluated using the facility condition index, or FCI, a national benchmark to compare estimated costs of repairs and renovations to the replacement value. The FCI changes over time depending upon the specifics of the site, construction, equipment, rates of decline, estimated costs and other factors, so each need will be considered when funds are available and a project will move forward.

Growth more than doubled the number of students in the past 20 years, and although slowed in recent years, the current school year welcomed more than 311,300 students, the highest student population ever at the District and more than 3,000 students over last year's enrollment. Growth in some neighborhoods during the past few years has resulted in overcrowded schools. Five elementary schools currently serve more than 1,000 students on campuses designed for 725 children. While the proposed plan focuses on essential repairs and equity in our schools, the plan will address overcrowding where needed most.

Those projects would be determined when funds become available, although they likely will not be addressed at first. Enrollment and overcrowding of schools at that time will influence the areas of need for new schools.

When possible, additional classrooms will be added to schools to reduce the use of portables. However, the focus of this capital improvement plan is to provide essential school renovations and repairs for failing systems, including HVAC, electrical systems, outdated technology and other major needs, with the exception of replacement school projects. Shifts in population within neighborhoods influence the need for or elimination of portable classroom space.

Facility condition index, or FCI, is a widely-used, national benchmark to compare estimated costs of repairs and renovations to the replacement value. The FCI provides an assessment tool for monitoring capital assets, or the property, buildings and equipment of organizations. Like other agencies, the school district utilizes the FCI to prioritize needs.

Only 5% of the technology needs at the 357 schools would be addressed in the 2012 plan, and networking and teaching equipment are capital assets rather than daily supplies. Today's students will enter a high-tech workforce, making some technology essential to education. In addition, technology has expanded the methods and scope of learning in classrooms. Technology is also part of the common core standards implemented in 45 states, including Nevada, and state assessments are moving to an online-only format.

Education has changed, just as medicine, energy, automotive, technology and many other aspects of our daily lives have changed. Today's students don't just learn differently, they learn different information: a broader, faster, dynamic wealth of knowledge ushered in by the information age and emerging technologies in a global society. Students today still learn reading, writing and arithmetic, and they learn much more, including problem solving and reasoning skills needed at work and home. Just as most of us can appreciate the advancements in medicine, education today is advancing for the benefit of the entire community. People can get involved and experience today's education sea change through a number of school district programs and opportunities; listed here.

The saying "a rising tide lifts all boats" applies to community endeavors such as the CIP. Everyone benefits when students succeed and enter the workforce ready to contribute to the community. The increased jobs, improved energy and operational efficiencies and better schools build a stronger, better Southern Nevada.

Regular maintenance has helped prolong the life and effectiveness of the building systems, such as heating, air conditioning and plumbing. However, due to age and use, systems wear out, and eventually repairs are no longer successful or become more expensive than replacements, which offer energy and operational efficiencies. Adding to the challenges of maintenance and ongoing repairs are the budget cuts made due to state funding reductions. The district, like many families, was forced to make tough decisions, cutting 12% and then another 20% reduction across the board to non-instructional areas, including maintenance and custodial. That means fewer people are covering more square feet in the schools with fewer supplies and materials.

The election resolution specifically limits Question 2 to six years. Any extension or different plan would require voter approval.

Decisions related to schools' capital projects are made in public meetings, guided by established policies and procedures, and reported in public documents.

CCSD has a proven track record of successful, fiscally-responsible capital improvement programs, and the district's building program has become a national model of success. To determine priorities once funds become available, a list will be developed using the facility condition index, or FCI, a benchmark to compare estimated costs of repairs and renovations to the replacement value. Identified projects go to bid in a formal process.