Unless you're paying close attention, talk of bonds can be confusing. So, let's see if we can clear things up a bit.

There are many different kinds of Bonds: there's rugged Bond (Daniel Craig), campy Bond (Roger Moore), pretty Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and, of course, original Bond (Sean Connery).

Then there's unsexy bond. No, not George Lazenby. We're talking bond . . . School Bond. The mere mention of which can leave you shaken, not stirred.

Unlike 007, the Proposed School Bond Referendum that our Board of Education is considering need not remain a mystery to so much of our community. Here's a quick overview that we hope you'll find helpful:

* What does the Proposed Bond propose to cover?

Basically, the Bond addresses a district-wide list of high-priority infrastructure capital improvement projects that touch all six of our school buildings. This includes brick-and-mortar upgrades, repairs and/or replacements to everything from roofing to retaining walls, stair rails to sidewalks, brick facades to backflow preventers, flooring to light fixtures to flues. There also will be an array of work spanning all mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems (auditorium air-conditioning, fire alarm and security systems, clock systems, etc).

Much of this work has long been identified as necessary, and many items on this list have reached the dreaded end-of-life stage and must be addressed.

An extensive checklist of what is being targeted for each school can be found in this presentation on the District website (scroll forward a few slides for school-specific projects).

* This work isn't included in the Budget?

The annual School Budget, which our community has voted overwhelmingly to approve the past several years, covers the cost of doing business on a day-to-day basis. It keeps the doors open and the lights on, and it allows our district's education to come to life for our 5,600 students.  A Bond covers any work that must be done beyond the basic operating costs -- much like a family might have a budget for its monthly and annual costs, which wouldn't cover one-time home repairs or renovations. 

* Will the Bond address our growing enrollment?

Just as this Proposed Bond is separate from the annual Budget, it also is separate from the work being done by the task force assigned to study the challenges of our growing enrollment. You can learn more about the task force here. Earlier this month, the task force entered Phase 2; the website will be updated periodically as the different study groups report back on the multiple long-term strategies being explored. Contrary to what you might be hearing around town or reading on social media, no decision has been made. The task force is still in the early stages of its critical work.

* What are these Pathfinder Projects we've been hearing about?

The District has been working with Fielding Nair, an acclaimed architectural design firm specializing in reimagining educational spaces. They have been looking at learning spaces at the high school and at Hommocks, trying to identify what opportunities exist to rethink the way those spaces could be utilized. Last week, Fielding Nair presented some innovative ideas for the high school. You can watch that presentation here, courtesy of LMC-TV.  An estimated 4% of the Bond is being targeted for these kind of Pathfinder Projects. 

* So . . . what's next?

Glad you asked. 

The Board of Education will host a Community Conversation on Tuesday, Oct. 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. at the Hommocks Library. This will give community members another chance to ask questions regarding the Bond.

Public discussion will continue during the Board's regularly scheduled bi-weekly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 6th.  Later in November (tentatively Tuesday, Nov. 27th),   the Board will vote to lock in the amount of the Bond. Right now, the estimated cost of the Bond is $49.4 million -- down roughly $5 million from the original estimate. 

After the cost and scope of the Bond have been determined by the Board's vote, it will be our community's turn to vote. A public vote will take place in early February  (tentatively scheduled for Feb. 5, 2019). Fear not . . . the District will announce the date once it is confirmed, and we'll be sure to remind you.

Should the Bond pass, a bunch of official paperwork would need to be submitted to and approved at by various state authorities. That means this work is not expected to take place until the summers of 2020 and 2021.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email PT Council ( [email protected]). Or you can email the Board directly ( [email protected]). Plus, you can keep checking the Board/Superintendent's Inbox, where questions from the community -- on all topics -- will be answered and curated.