Bond History

Bond 2022 Overview

Bond Passage

Olathe Public Schools voters have endorsed the 2022 Bond election 67.73 percent to 32.27 percent. The $298,265,186 no tax rate increase bond will touch every student in Olathe Public Schools and will help the district address its needs.

Bond Presentation

Bond Updates

Regular updates on Bond 2022 projects, including Growth and Reinvestment, Technology and Innovation, Student Experience, and Safety, can be found in the Board of Education's monthly written reports section within each meeting agenda on BoardDocs.

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Four Bond Pillars

Growth & Investment

As a school district, we know that students learn best in high-quality learning environments — from classrooms to playgrounds to activity centers and more. Many of our facilities were designed to meet the needs of the past, not of our current students and their future. A primary focus of the 2022 bond package will be to reinvest in and provide routine preventative maintenance to facilities that are no longer meeting the needs of students. Proposed projects in the bond package that would address Growth and Reinvestment include:

Replacement of Santa Fe Trail Middle School. This would include building a new school to replace the current one to better meet the needs of students and staff. The students would remain in their current school until a new SFT is constructed
General aging facility projects including items such as HVAC replacement, roofing, asphalt, classroom renovation, replacement of flooring and lighting
Furniture replacement system wide
Construction of a new Operations Service Center and renovation of the current facility to be used as a second bus and transportation center

Estimated Cost: $197,000,000

Technology & Innovation

In today’s ever-changing world, Technology continues to play a vitally important role in our students’ educational experience. Not only does technology enhance the educational and instructional experience, it also helps prepare students for a successful future in an increasingly digital world. If passed, 2022 bond funds would provide the district with the ability to replace student and staff devices on a regular basis through short-term bonds that better align with the life cycle of devices. This helps ensure that students are equipped with the latest technology to better meet their educational needs. Old devices would be sold back to companies to recoup some of the value from the end-of-life technology.

In addition, funds would be used to update and enhance the districts infrastructure that supports the largest network of devices in the KC metro area.

Estimated Cost; $60,704,986

Student Experience

The Student Experience in Olathe Public Schools extends beyond the four walls of our classrooms. We are committed to reimagining the student experience and providing students future-ready learning opportunities that meet the needs of all students in the classroom and beyond. The proposed bond would provide funding to update all elementary playgrounds with new surfacing and would update equipment so that it is ADA accessible for all students to enjoy the benefits of learning and play. In addition, funding would support turf replacement on district fields and additional lighting at district activity centers as part of the district’s commitment to enhancing all aspects of the student experience, including extra- and co-curricular activities. Other proposed projects include:

Renovations of high school media centers
Renovations of middle school auditoriums
Funds earmarked for career and technical education programs and facilities

Estimated Costs: $32,315,000

Safety

Trusted relationships are at the heart of the district’s work around Safety. We know that when students feel safe at school and have a trusted adult they can turn to, they are able to learn and reach their highest potential. In addition to trusted relationships, we recognize the importance of having physical safety measures in place throughout district facilities. The proposed safety projects in the 2022 bond would provide needed updates and additions to the physical safety measures in place across the district, including:

Updating the access control system at all schools
Additional cameras at elementary schools
Additional cameras at the sports complexes
District radio upgrade.

Estimated Costs: $8,245,200

Bond History

Voters in the Olathe School District have shown their support for education through the decades by voting for bond issues to provide everything from additional schools to new technology, safety features to land for future growth.

October 1965

April 1971

September 1974

August 1976

November 1978

April 1982

October 1983

September 1986

$35.5 million

Construct: Briarwood, Countryside and Heritage elementary schools; Frontier Trail Junior High; Food Service; Instructional Materials Center; Warehouse, Activity Center
Additions: Developmental Learning Center; Olathe North and Olathe South high schools; Santa Fe Trail Junior High; Westview, Central, Rolling Ridge, Tomahawk, Havencroft, Prairie Center, Black Bob, Washington and Scarborough elementary schools
Purchase sites: Activity Center; Senior High #3; Briarwood and Countryside elementary schools; Instructional Materials Center; Frontier Trail Junior High; Olathe North High School

June 1989

April 1994

October 1997

$123.72 million (approved by 71.2 percent)

Construct: Cedar Creek, Regency Place, Sunnyside and Arbor Creek elementary schools; Chisholm Trail Junior High; Olathe Northwest High School; College Boulevard Activity Center; elementary multipurpose rooms; $12 million for WAN and LAN technologies
Purchase sites: Five elementaries, one junior high and one senior high

November 2000

Sept. 9, 2003 mail-in ballots

$73.5 million (approved by 59.83 percent)

Construct: Three elementary schools and a special education facility
Purchase sites: Four elementary schools, two junior high schools and one high school
Technology: New and existing schools
Safety and security upgrades: All schools
Multipurpose rooms: Havencroft, Meadow Lane and Northview elementary schools; Frontier Trail, Indian Trail, Oregon Trail and Pioneer Trail junior highs
Upgrades, repairs and renovations to existing schools
Renovation of Heartland Learning Center
Additions: Sunnyside and Heatherstone elementaries, and the Service Center

Oct. 16, 2007 mail-in ballots

Question 1 for $138 million (approved by 65 percent)

Construct: Junior high at 127th and Lake Shore Drive; two elementary schools at locations TBD; design and construction plans for High School 5; Technology Support Center; Vocational Education Center
Purchase sites: Four elementary school sites
Additions: California Trail Junior High; Countryside, Havencroft, Indian Creek and Manchester Park elementary schools; and two additional schools (to be determined based on enrollment patterns).
Refurbishing: Heartland Learning Center; Central, Ridgeview and Washington elementary schools; Olathe North High School
Maintenance projects: windows at Central, Fairview, Meadow Lane, Northview, Washington and Westview elementary schools, Frontier Trail, Pioneer Trail and Santa Fe Trail junior highs and Olathe North High School; heating/air conditioning at Black Bob, Briarwood, Brougham, Countryside, Fairview, Havencroft, Heritage, Prairie Center, Rolling Ridge, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove elementary schools, Heartland Learning Center, Olathe North and Olathe South high schools; roofing at Black Bob, Countryside, Fairview, Havencroft, Heritage, Meadow Lane, Scarborough and Washington elementary schools, Frontier Trail, Oregon Trail and Santa Fe Trail junior high schools, Olathe South, Food Production Center, Heartland Learning Center, Instructional Resource Center, Olathe District Activity Center; asphalt and concrete at Bentwood, Black Bob, Brougham, Cedar Creek, Countryside, Fairview, Havencroft, Heatherstone, Heritage, Indian Creek, Mahaffie, Meadow Lane, Pleasant Ridge, Prairie Center, Regency Place, Ridgeview, Rolling Ridge, Scarborough, Sunnyside, Walnut Grove, Washington and Westview elementary schools, California Trail, Chisholm Trail, Indian Trail, Oregon Trail, Pioneer Trail and Santa Fe Trail junior high schools, Olathe North, Olathe Northwest and Olathe South high schools, Food Production Center, Heartland Learning Center, Instructional Resource Center, Education Center, Operations Service Center, West Dennis Support Center; flooring at Bentwood, Black Bob, Brougham, Briarwood, Cedar Creek, Central, Countryside, Fairview, Green Springs, Havencroft, Heritage, Mahaffie, Meadow Lane, Northview, Scarborough, Walnut Grove and Westview elementary schools, California Trail, Frontier Trail, Oregon Trail and Pioneer Trail junior high schools, Olathe North and Olathe South high schools; ceilings / lighting at Central, Fairview, Meadow Lane, Northview, Pleasant Ridge, Rolling Ridge and Westview elementary schools, Frontier Trail, Oregon Trail and Pioneer Trail junior high schools, Olathe South.
Technology: $11.9 million for new and existing schools, including digital classrooms for older elementary schools similar to newer schools; network infrastructure

Question 2, Increase Local Option Budget to 31 percent (approved by 57.5 percent)

Nov. 4, 2008 General Election

June 11, 2013 mail-in ballots

$244.8 million (approved by 77 percent)

Construct: A fifth high school and 36th elementary school.
Purchase Sites: Sites for future schools including land for a sixth high school.
Technology: Replace hardware and catch up on deferred replacements, upgrade and enhance digital classrooms to acquire newer versions of proven devices or next generation devices, increase student access to technology by enhancing the district’s device foundation, and upgrade infrastructure and network hardware.
Safety and Security: Transitioning the district’s final set of elementary schools from classrooms without doors to classrooms with doors, creating secured building entrances at elementary schools with the main office serving as pinch points, and creating secured event entrances at many of the district’s middle schools. Additional safety and security features include installing more keyless entries, exterior and interior cameras and additional alarms, among other safety initiatives.
Aging Facility Projects: Upgrading and replacing aged HVAC systems, taking care of exterior needs including masonry and replacement of aged windows and doors, replacing aged lighting fixtures, ceilings and retractable walls, upgrading bathrooms, and improving specialized instructional space. In addition, improvements at the district’s activity centers, including converting to synthetic fields.

June 7, 2016 mail-in ballots

$156 million (approved by 72.3 percent)

Construct: A 10th middle school and renovations to Millcreek Learning Center to accommodate growth of the Prairie Learning Center.
Purchase Sites: Site for the district’s 10th middle school.
Technology: New and replacement student technology devices, audio visual equipment and telecommunications equipment; improve the technology infrastructure and support applications; equip the district’s 36th elementary school and 10th middle school with technology.
Safety and Security: Upgrading keyless entry system districtwide and adding card readers, upgrading or replacing interior and exterior security cameras including high schools and district activity centers, improving front door security at high schools, and installing resilient gym flooring at elementary schools.
Aging Facility Projects: Improvements to high school auditoriums, replacing flooring, gymnasium repairs and floor replacement, improving lighting at district activity centers, masonry at one school, warehouse expansion for one district activity center, many repair projects including classroom and restroom renovations, renovations at five middle schools, science room renovations at three middle schools, replacing windows and exterior doors, replacing aged HVAC systems, roofs and track surfaces.

March 1, 2022 mail-in ballots

$298.3 million (approved by 67.73 percent)

On March 1, 2022 Olathe Public Schools voters endorsed a $298.3 million no tax-rate increase bond election 67.73 percent to 32.27 percent. The bond will positively impact all Olathe students and their future for years to come. Projects within the 2022 Bond will touch every student in Olathe Public Schools and will help the district address its needs in the areas of Growth and Reinvestment, Technology and Innovation, Student Experience and Safety.