AURORA | Aurora Public Schools will ask voters this November to borrow $215 million for new schools and improvements without having to raise taxes, but voters will also decide whether to hike property taxes for $15 million in operating money for the school district.

Both issue 3A (the mill levy override) and issue 3B (the bond issue) are separate issues on the ballot, and neither is dependant on the other. However, APS officials say both are needed for continued success in the district.

Aurora Public Schools Superintendent John Barry touted the district’s accomplishments last year as proof of the district’s success and reason enough for the community to support the bond and mill override.

Among those accomplishments include improvements in student performance on state standardized tests, the implementation of numerous new district-wide programs and curricula, the start of district-wide kindergarten and the securing of more than $400,000 in grants for district projects.

“(The grants) show that we have buy-in to what we are doing,” he said.

If the mill levy increase (3A) is approved, a tax hike of about $10 a month on a $200,000 home would provide almost $15 million a year in new operating money that would provide full-day kindergarten, new programs and technology improvements across the district.

It would be the first mill levy increase for the district since 1990.

Statistics have shown that growth in the district has slowed considerably, and student numbers are in decline, forcing the district to reduce their spending for the 2008-09 school year by $10 million.

Over the past two years, the district has lost more than 1,000 students, and officials have predicted a loss in 2008-09 of as many as 600 students when data is released in October.

Barry asked each department to cut about 8 percent of their budget for the 2008-09 school year.

Barry said the district would use the increase in operating funds to give 2-percent salary increases to all employees, further implement full-day kindergarten in the district, fund future pilot school growth and fifth-block programs, and continue with technology improvements.

If the bond issue (3B) passes, APS would fund a host of construction and remodelling projects over five years.

A multimedia presentation on recommended capital improvements created by the district’s long-range planning committee showed that a majority of that money would go toward building new schools for the district, including $53.75 million for a new high school and $27.25 million for a new K-8 school at the district’s 100-acre site at East Sixth Avenue and Harvest Road.

District planners say the time is right to begin building new facilities to the east of E-470 in anticipation of future growth and to alleviate already crowded high schools — despite a decline in younger students entering the district.

Officials say surplus money from the 2002 bond election has already gone toward the design of the new high school, though a new bond election would be needed to finance construction.

There have also been talks of leaving space on the site for a community college building.

The new schools would primarily serve new growth in the northeast part of the city, where officials say they expect to see as many as 50,000 homes built in the area over the next 10 years.

Officials also say every APS school would benefit from approval of the measures.

Included in that would be whole building remodels for Elkhart, Altura and Lansing Elementary Schools as well as Aurora Hills Middle School.

Aurora Central High School would also see an eight-classroom addition, and Virginia Court Elementary would receive an additional two classrooms added.

The district has also earmarked $1.4 million in bond money for district-wide card entry systems for buildings.

According to district officials, if passed, the charter schools will receive $750,000 for capital improvements through the bond, as well as an additional $100 per pupil boost from the mill levy increase.

“We need to make sure we go out and tell our story and make sure what the public knows what they are voting for, but if you want a non-partisan issue to vote on, this is the one,” said Board President Matt Cook. “This will benefit every kid.”