Wyandotte County voters weigh another school bond in face of rising enrollment
Voters in northwest Wyandotte County on Tuesday will decide the fate of a proposed $32.5 million bond for ongoing improvements in Piper Unified School District. The item, if successful, would greenlight the second in a two-phase districtwide improvement plan to accommodate rising enrollment amid space limitations.
The election marks the school district’s fifth attempt to pass a bond issue since 2007. Piper USD successfully passed bonds, collectively totaling about $129 million, in 2007, 2018 and 2022. Voters rejected a $67.5 million issue in 2015 by fewer than 350 votes.
The 2025 bond up for consideration, if passed, would partially finance additional improvements to campuses, athletic facilities, offices, safety systems and land investments projected to total $33 million. The school district, which has experienced a 42% enrollment increase in the past decade, has pitched the idea during public presentations as an opportunity to keep up with its growth and finish uncompleted projects complicated by high inflation.
The bond issue without additional state aid would increase the school district’s mill levy rate, or the amount of tax dollars payable per $1,000 of assessed property value, by $2.41 to almost $69. The district anticipates residents in Piper USD with a $200,000 property value would see a $4.62-per-month increase on the school district’s portion of their tax bill. Residents with a $300,000 home would see closer to a $7 increase.
Voters approved the first phase in the district’s two-part FutureReady initiative, a $64.5 million bond in 2022, to kickstart campus expansions, facility renovations and tech upgrades and construct a performing arts center, among other projects.
People may vote in person on Election Day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at their respective polling places. In-person early voting will be held at the Wyandotte County Election office until noon on April 14 and at the Patricia Diane Kane Community Center until 4 p.m. on April 12.
