KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Blue Springs School District residents are the only eastern Jackson County voters who will head to the polls for the Aug. 3 election.
Voters will decide two questions — Question 1, which would allow the district to issue $107 million in general obligation bonds to expand Blue Springs High School, and Question 2, which transfers a portion of the district’s tax levy from debt service to the operation levy.
Question 1 requires a two-thirds majority to pass, while Question 2 only requires a simple majority.
The district says neither of the ballot questions will require a net increase in the tax levy.
If Question 1 is approved, Blue Springs High School would be expanded and remodeled to allow incoming freshmen to move into the building in the fall of 2023.
The bond also would fund renovations to the Career and Innovation Center at the district’s former Freshmen Center and several other projects, including:
- Construction of a multipurpose room capable of withstanding an EF5 tornado at Franklin Smith Elementary;
- Six new classrooms and an office expansion at James Lewis Elementary;
- Six new classrooms at William Bryant Elementary;
- Four new classrooms capable of withstanding an EF5 tornado at Chapel Lakes Elementary;
- Additional parking and restrooms at James Walker Elementary;
- Kitchen upgrades at Franklin Smith, Lucy Franklin, Voy Spears Jr., William Bryant and William Yates elementary schools that would allow food to be prepared on-site instead of delivered;
- An expanded office and alteration of the pick-up/drop-off driveway at John Nowlin Elementary;
- Roof and HVAC upgrades at various district-owned buildings;
- Installation of all-weather surfaces at all middle school tracks.
Question 1 would not require BSSD to increase its debt service levy, according to the district.
Question 2 would allow the district to shift some money from the debt service to the operating levy, but keep the overall tax levy at $5.7286.
If approved, Question 2 would decrease the debt-service levy by 30¢ and raise the operating levy by 30¢, but the transfer would provide an additional $5.1 million in operating revenue for BSSD.
The district plans to use the money to hire licensed professional counselors at every school building, hire registered nurses at every building and maintain class sizes.
The district used funds from a 2018 bond issue to add a wing for freshmen at Blue Springs South High School, which opened in 2019.
BSSD also added to the fine arts space and built a new media center at Blue Springs High School in recent years among other projects included in the bond issue three years ago.
