District to Place $7.5 Million Bond Issue on April Ballot

The Grain Valley School Board adopted language during a January 3 rd workshop which will place a $7.5 Million bond issue on the ballot in April to allow for an addition of 1 ½ classroom wings onto North Middle School and for other possible improvements in the school district.

An eventual addition was planned for North Middle School when it was built in 2010. If the bond issue passes, the addition will add at least 17 classrooms, another set of student restrooms, and more parking at the school. Passage of this bond issue does not require raising the district tax levy rate of $1.7000 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.

The approved ballot language states: "Shall the Board of Education of the Grain Valley R-V School District of Jackson County, Missouri, without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($7,500,000) for the purpose of providing funds for the site development, construction, renovation, equipping, and furnishing of a middle school addition; to complete other repairs and improvements to all school facilities; and issue bonds for the payment thereof?”

If approved, construction on the middle school addition would begin in the summer of 2019 and would open by fall 2020. Additional repairs and improvements at all school facilities are mentioned in the ballot language and the district has begun to develop a list of proposed projects.

“We plan to list the replacement of the artificial turf at the high school stadium as an alternate bid on this bond issue and are getting estimates on other projects that could be added to the list of alternate bids yet this spring,” Dr. Brad Welle, Deputy Superintendent, Student and Community Services said.