The Sedona-Oak Creek School District could ask voters to approve a $73.4-million bond by Thursday, June 28, according to Superintendent Kim Randall.

The Sedona-Oak Creek School District could ask voters to approve a $73.4-million bond by Thursday, June 28, according to Superintendent Kim Randall.

The money would pay for new school buses, an expanded theater, upgraded athletic facilities and new classrooms, among other items.

Tina Bertrand, of PinnacleOne, the district’s construction consultant, presented information about the bond to SOCSD Governing Board members and key administrators at a meeting Thursday, May 31.

If approved, the bond would result in increased property taxes for homeowners within the district, though the exact amount of the increase is not yet decided.

Work will be conducted on all three district campuses: Sedona Red Rock High School, West Sedona School and Big Park Community School.

Bonds will be sold in three phases and work will not be completed until 2012, Randall reported.

Major items included in the bond are renovations of

existing classrooms districtwide, a new gym at SRRHS, improved playgrounds and new energy-saving quarters.

Theater seating at Sedona Red Rock High School will increase from the current 260 to 750 seats.

“Right now, we have no place where we can have students and staff in one place,” Randall said. “This will do it for the foreseeable future.”

The firm of Stone and Youngberg will act as bond counsel for the district and the firm of Gust and Rosenberg will act as bond attorneys.

Randall said, “These companies form a system of checks and balances that will help ensure that everything is done properly.”

“The community has good reason to be proud of their schools. It’s this board’s and my responsibility to make sure we stay ahead of the pack in facilities

and programming.”

Several safety and security improvements are on the drawing board with new door security and fencing among them.

West Sedona School, as the oldest school in the district, will see the lion’s share of renovations from the bond funds, if approved, Randall reported.

Also on June 28, the board will decide whether to renew a districtwide budget override.

Unlike the $73.4 million general obligation bond, which goes for brick and mortar capital improvements, the budget override would pay to provide additional services to students under the maintenance and operations budget, like additional teachers and other education specialists.