Stafford leaders present long‑range facilities options; community urges bond vote

Stafford Municipal School District (SMSD) and the City of Stafford on Monday held a joint public meeting to review a comprehensive needs assessment, bond market scenarios and community feedback and to hear public comment on whether the district should seek voter authorization for school building bonds.

Dr. Robert Bostic, superintendent of Stafford Municipal School District, told the joint meeting: “For the record, you do not have a bond. You don't have a bond at all,” and said the session was intended to share the comprehensive needs assessment and obtain community input before any formal ballot decision.

The meeting centered on a facilities assessment prepared by LAN and financing scenarios produced by RBC Capital. LAN’s facility survey and subsequent Long Range Planning Group ranking produced a menu of projects that, depending on the scope, ranged from about $80 million (described by presenters as an amount that could be borrowed with no additional tax increase) to larger packages that would cover additional renovations and alternate projects. Dr. Bostic and presenters said one aggregate total of all identified projects reached roughly $246,576,931 when…