Two area school boards decided this week to move forward on bond issues to construct new schools.
The De Soto school board will seek approval of up to $72 million in bonds to expand Mill Valley and De Soto high schools and construct a seventh elementary school in the growing district. In addition, the board agreed this week to use $3.5 million from the district's capital outlay fund to expand Starside Elementary School in De Soto and Clear Creek Elementary School in Shawnee.
Superintendent Sharon Zoellner estimated a $72 million bond issue would mean a property tax increase of about 7.2 mills. The estimated total tax increase for a $100,000 home would be $82.77.
Also on Nov. 4, voters in the Baldwin school district likely will be asked to approve $22.9 million in bonds to finance a new 480-student Baldwin Elementary School Primary Center and early childhood center; a new performing arts center, four baseball and softball fields, a practice track and field facility, roof and updated heating and cooling systems at Baldwin Junior High School; and technology and security needs.
Comments
avoice 9 years, 1 month ago
It's time to say "no" to all these new buildings going up all the time. I don't know about De Soto, but Baldwin has a perfectly good building they are planning to abandon because they think it's too old and too costly to renovate. Instead, they're going to spend ten times as much to build a new school in an area where they will have to build a road to have access to it. It will be built next to the big mistake they built a few years ago, another elementary school that has not met the needs of the community space-wise, has not had cable or Internet access because it was built in a pasture where there were no services available, and has been unsafe for kids to walk or ride their bikes to (this is why the new building comes complete with a new road). Great forward-thinking, I'd say. Voters of Baldwin City: Just be sure you know what you're getting this time, because you sure were taken to the cleaners on the last elementary school building.
SettingTheRecordStraight 9 years, 1 month ago
Say no, DeSoto and Baldwin. Don't let the government take more of your money.
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