What’s at stake in Independence’s vote on $60 million school bond
On April 7, voters will decide the future of 24 Independence School District elementary, middle and high school buildings.
Leaders of Independence School District 30 are asking residents to approve a new bond for school renovations, which would serve students in Independence, Sugar Creek, Blue Summit and part of Kansas City.
The $60 million bond would fund major renovations to three elementary schools, along with repairs and upgrades to more than 20 other facilities across the district.
Voters previously approved ISD facilities bonds in 2021 and 2017, along with tax levies to increase teacher pay in 2023 and 2015. All were approved by more than 60% of voters.
The school district’s enrollment has hovered around 14,650 students for the past decade, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Peak enrollment in the last 10 years was 15,143 during the 2017-2018 school year, and the lowest enrollment of 14,168 came in the 2023-2024 school year.
At the April Missouri local elections, ISD voters will also choose two new board of education members.
Find more coverage of Jackson County at KansasCity.com/News/Local/Jackson-County.
The Star’s editorial board is endorsing candidates for the April 7 election. The Opinion staff is independent and editorially separate from The Star’s newsroom.
What would the ISD bond fund?
The bond would fund major renovations at Fairmount, Procter and Korte elementaries. Located on the west side of the district, the schools were constructed up to 102 years ago. The schools were chosen “due to their age, layout, and maintenance needs.”
These renovations would update electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems; change classroom layouts; and increase accessibility at Fairmount, Procter and Korte elementaries.
In addition, ISD would put money toward smaller renovations and maintenance at more than 20 other facilities across the district.
Here are examples of other renovations requested by ISD:
- New windows at Three Trails Elementary
- Remodeled music spaces, new elevator, more custodian storage and updated school nurse office at Bridger Middle School
- Upgraded special education areas and new baseball turf at Van Horn High School
Will this cause taxes to increase?
The tax rate will not increase because of the April school bond. The bond works like a mortgage or home loan, according to the ISD website. The district borrows the money now and pays it off over time by collecting 91 cents per $100 of the assessed value of a taxpayer’s property and vehicles.
Critics of these no tax increase bonds argue that instead of the debt having an end date when it will be paid off, taxpayers have to chip away at debt for a longer length of time.
ISD paid $485 per student on interest on debt out of total expenditures of $16,029 per student during the 2021-2022 school year, which is the most recent data available.
This is less than Blue Springs School District’s $613 per student and North Kansas City Schools’ $616, but more than Fort Osage R-I School District‘s $445, Raytown C-2 School District‘s $362 and Kansas City Public Schools’ $31.
What would a yes vote mean?
If the April school bond passes, ISD could begin the school renovations. Construction would begin in May 2026 and all major projects would be completed by August 2027, Cindy Grant, interim superintendent, wrote in an email.
Crews would begin with small projects around the district and renovations on these schools:
- Fairmount Elementary
- Korte Elementary
- Three Trails Elementary
- Randall Elementary
- Bryant Elementary
- Bridger Middle School
- William Chrisman High School
- Truman High School
- Van Horn High School
The Independence chapter of the Missouri National Education Association teachers’ union endorses a yes vote on the school bond.
What would a no vote mean?
If the ISD bond fails, the district would still maintain school buildings, though improvements would take longer, Grant wrote. Major renovations would likely not happen.
No campaign opposing the bond has registered with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
How will the question appear on the ballot?
The ISD bond question will be on ballots as follows:
Shall The School District of the City of Independence, Missouri issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $60,000,000 for the purpose of constructing, improving, repairing,renovating, furnishing and equipping school sites and facilities, including remodeling and renovating Fairmount Elementary School, Korte Elementary School and Procter Elementary School and making additional improvements to school facilities throughout the District?
Approval of this question is expected to result in zero increase to the District’s debt service tax levy of $0.9118 per $100 dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property
How can I cast my ballot?
Election Day is Tuesday, April 7, for the Independence school bond election and other local races in Missouri. Polling locations can be found on the Jackson County Election Board website. They will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
No-excuse early voting takes place at two Jackson County locations.
Registered Missouri voters will need a current or recently expired photo ID issued by the federal or Missouri governments. IDs from other states are not accepted. Usable forms of photo ID for Missouri include:
- A Missouri driver’s license or a state ID that is current or expired after Nov. 5, 2024
- A non-expired military ID, including a veteran or dependant ID card that is current or expired after Nov. 5, 2024
- A U.S. passport or another form of photo ID issued by the U.S. government or the state of Missouri that is current or expired after Nov. 5, 2024
If you don’t have one of these forms of identification but registered to vote in Missouri before March 11, you can cast a provisional ballot.
