The election will be held Tuesday, November 7, 2023, and will be open to all registered voters in the USD 418 district. Early voting will begin October 18, 2023 at the McPherson County Courthouse. On election day, voters can cast their ballot at their typical precinct locations. The last day to register to vote to participate in this election is October 17, 2023. For more voting information, visit mcphersoncountyks.us/982/voting-information.

The bond request is $88,500,000.

A bond is a state-approved funding process for a set scope of projects. When voters approve a bond, the school district sells bonds in the authorized amount and uses the proceeds of the sale to pay for those projects in the bond. In many ways, the bonding process is like a homeowner obtaining a mortgage and making payments over a period of years. School bond elections require a simple majority to pass (50 percent plus one).

Bond funds can only be used for constructing, equipping, maintaining and furnishing district facilities. This makes bond funds different from the district’s operating funds that are used to pay salaries, textbooks and other day-to-day expenses. Bond funds can only be used for brick-and-mortar projects and cannot be legally used for anything else. This is an important distinction to remember. Bond funds and operational/salary funds are separate, and according to state law, these funds cannot be used interchangeably.

The safety and security of students in every building is a major focus of the bond. Secure entrances will be provided, wherein all visitors will enter at the main entrance and be required to check in at the office. All building entrances will be automatically secured by electronic access control.

We can all agree, students deserve spaces that are conducive to learning. Our aging facilities need an overhaul, and construction costs are on the rise. The more we delay, the more the cost increases for taxpayers in the future, and the longer students lack the facilities they deserve.

Input from community and staff was crucial in setting the size and priorities of the scope. Stakeholders were engaged in the following ways from August 2021 - August 2023: - Community information and brainstorming sessions - Staff information and brainstorming sessions - Community surveys garnering over 1,600 responses, including a survey sent to every home in the USD 418 district - Community tours of current facilities - Community call to action following May 2023 outcome Through this advice, we learned a major community priority was to make the most of our existing locations and buildings, including: - Replace the aging academic wing in the high school, while making repairs to other existing high school spaces - Renovate existing classrooms and hallways in the elementaries and middle school buildings - Upgrade safety and security at every building - Upgrade outdated, inefficient mechanical systems at every building

The two-story addition will be similar in size to the existing footprint. This is an opportunity to improve the layout of the high school site, so it is put to best use.

Students will stay in current classrooms. New construction will be phased, to make sure students are not displaced to temporary buildings during the process.

Following a passing vote in November, the design process for the new academic addition at the high school will begin, taking up to a year to finalize. Construction will last 2-3 years. Safety, security, and mechanical system upgrades for the elementary and middle school buildings will begin sooner.

Education is key to the economic prosperity of our community. Investment in public school buildings pays three times: once for skilled jobs in local communities; a second time in the quality that healthy, safe, and educationally appropriate buildings create for students and their teachers; and finally, a third time in the benefits that quality education will reap for generations to come.

Yes. Multiple locations and configurations were considered. Based on community feedback though, the priority was to make the most of our existing locations and buildings.

Phase 1 – Initial Build Construction of turf and track facility. This work is complete and is currently funded under a lease-purchase agreement, which would be refinanced/paid off by this bond. Phase 2 – Capital Campaign Select field enhancements (e.g. lighting, scoreboard, additional runways, additional shotput and discus areas) funded through private donations. Phase 3 – Successful Bond Finalize fully-functioning varsity field and outdoor classroom that would benefit all students. Enhancements would include a grandstand, concessions, storage, and restrooms. These improvements would be funded through the bond.

The district currently has two leases (HVAC, field), which are paid out of capital outlay. This bond will refinance/pay off those leases, freeing up capital outlay funds for maintenance/district operations moving forward.

Yes, the Board of Education unanimously supports this bond.

Yes. Please contact us anytime: Email: school.bond@mcpherson.com Phone: (620) 241-9400 Address: 514 North Main, McPherson, KS 67460