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11-5-21 — BOE Approves March 2022 Bond Referendum Election
Nov. 5, 2021 ~ The Olathe Board of Education voted 6-0 to move forward with a $298.3 million bond election at its meeting Nov. 4. Registered voters who live within the Olathe School District boundaries will be able to vote in a March mail-in election that would help the district address its needs in Growth and Reinvestment, Technology and Innovation, Student Experience, and Safety.
Projects within bond proposals would touch every school in the district and would not increase the mill (tax) rate currently levied to pay off bonds.
Major projects of this bond election include:
Growth and Reinvestment
- 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.
- Renovations of high school media centers.
- Renovations of middle school auditoriums.
- 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.
- Funds earmarked for career and technical education programs and facilities.
Technology and Innovation
- Multi-year student and staff device replacement cycles. Old devices will be sold back to recoup some of the cost. Financing for these items will be short term.
- Technology infrastructure upgrades.
Student Experience
- ADA accessible playgrounds at all elementary schools with new surfacing.
- Turf replacement on district fields, including some of the district practice fields.
- Parking lot lighting at the district activity centers.
Safety
- Updating the access control system at all schools.
- Additional cameras at elementary schools.
- Additional cameras at the sports complexes.
- District radio upgrade.
District staff have worked to prioritize projects by gathering feedback from stakeholders. Staff met with leaders at all buildings to understand each building’s short- and long-term needs. Additionally, the district conducted a statistically valid phone survey with 400 residents. More than 1,800 parents responded to an email survey asking for bond project feedback. The district also hosted a focus group night where parents provided input on potential bond projects. Read more about the focus groups
It is important to note that bond funds can only be used on infrastructure such as buildings, grounds, and equipment; it cannot be used for salaries or other operating expenses. Terms of financing on the bonds for these projects will match the life of the project.
Additional information on this zero tax rate increase bond referendum election will be available on the district website in the coming weeks.