A bond issue for Springfield Public Schools will be on the April 2 ballot. The Springfield Board of Education Tuesday night voted unanimously to put the $168 million bond proposal before voters.
It would fund 39 high-priority projects, including secure entrances at 31 schools, a new southwest region early childhood center, renovations at Sunshine and Williams Elementary Schools and Hillcrest High School and new buildings for Jarrett, Boyd and Delaware Schools. Storm shelter gymnasiums would be included in many of the projects.
For the last five months, a task force comprised of 31 community members, parents, students and SPS educators studied the current condition of SPS schools and evaluated the most critical improvements needed.
To fund the projects, the task force recommended that the school board ask voters to approve an 18-cent increase to the debt-service levy. The levy would be phased in over two years with a nine-cent increase the first year and a nine-cent increase the second year. After the full phase in, the cost increase to the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would be $34.20 annually.
View details of the bond proposal here.
