A $7.5 million bond issue passed in Tuesday’s election will be used to renovate and upgrade facilities in the Southern Boone County School District.
The bond issue was passed with 68 percent of the district’s votes. It will fund four new classrooms in the elementary school, eight new classrooms and a gym in the primary school, and a weight room and locker room in the high school.
District enrollment has increased by almost 150 students since the 2011-2012 school year, according to District Superintendent Chris Felmlee, and there is more residential housing under development in the district. Felmlee said the growth is the reason the bond issue was proposed.
“We’ve had so much growth that we’ve really used all the capacity in our buildings,” Felmlee told KBIA Monday. “We’re out of classrooms. So teachers are having to resort to using closet space as instructional spaces for kids.”
The bond issue will cost taxpayers 15 cents per $100 of real estate and personal property. According to Felmlee’s district blog, this equates to an additional $42.75 for a family with $150,000 of property, and an additional $71.25 for one with $250,000.
