What the district is asking for voters to approve in bond vote

During the last 13 years, four separate Mid-Prairie committees have reviewed the facility and building needs of the district. These committees consisted of community members, parents, students, and district staff members.

Each committee used an extensive process to assess district needs while also assimilating the work of the previous committee. Each time, the results of that work would be the creation of a list of recommendations that would be presented to the school board.

The latest Facility Committee started its work in April 2018 with 52 members. After almost two years of work, committee representatives presented their recommendations to the Mid-Prairie School Board in January 2020.

COVID brought any progress on these recommendations to a screeching halt. However, the committee's recommendations were put back in front of the school board in February of last year.

The school board has been discussing the committee’s recommendations since February. At a recent school board meeting, the school board voted to hold a bond referendum on March 1.

Mid-Prairie voters will be asked if they approve of selling bonds totaling $26.3 million to finance the construction projects chosen by the board. The remainder of the funds needed for these projects will come from sales tax revenue and private contributions.

Following are projects selected by the School Board:

1. Construct new classrooms at the Middle School, East Elementary, and High School.

(This also will create space at West Elementary because the two sections of kindergarten at West will be moved to the new classrooms at East.)

2. Renovate the Middle School commons area and the middle school family & consumer science classroom.

3. Construct a new gymnasium and locker rooms at the middle school and renovate the old gym and locker rooms into additional classrooms, offices, and storage areas.

4. Construct a new auditorium at the high school.

5. Construct a new wrestling and weight facility at the high school.

6. Install new lights on the softball diamond and repair and resurface the high school track.

7. Reconfigure and make improvements to the parking lots at East, West, and high school.

The estimated increase in property tax to repay the $26.3 million of bonds is 60 cents per $1,000 of taxable valuation. This is the same increase as was asked for during the 2014 bond referendum when voters approved bonds totaling $10.6 million.

Obviously, district voters will have many questions surrounding this referendum.

Regular newspaper columns, community meetings, a special website, social media, and the distribution of other printed material, are just some of the ways being planned to make sure voters get the answers to all questions before voting.

If you have a question that you would like to see addressed, you can email that question to me at mschneider@mphawks.org or call me at 319-936-8601.

I am also willing to speak to any community group or gathering of people about the facts surrounding the upcoming vote. You can contact me using the same email and phone number to arrange a time.