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Ash Grove School District seeking a 9.4-million Million Dollar Bond issue for classrooms, safe room

Ash Grove Elementary School
Ash Grove Public Schools
Ash Grove Elementary School

Superintendent Dr. Aaron Gerla said they're asking voters to approve the bond issue because they've run out of space.

The Ash Grove School District is seeking approval of a 9.4-million-dollar bond issue, which would fund six elementary classrooms, new restrooms and a new gymnasium that would also serve as a safe room during severe weather. Voters will decide Proposition K.I.D.S. on April 4.

Ash Grove Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Gerla, said the funds are needed because they’ve run out of space.

"The easiest way to put it is our music, art, PE and multiple therapists that we have in the building — all are having to meet in other places outside of our normal school buildings whether that’s in other schools, whether that’s in a trailer, we are completely out of space," said Gerla.

He said the FEMA safe room would give students and staff a place to shelter when a tornado warning is issued.

"This is going to be the first safe room in the entire town of Ash Grove. And so, when we talk about educating our kids, we want to worry about our safety and security first before we can ever educate our kids, and this is the best way to do that," he said.

The bond measure asks voters for a 30-cent increase for every hundred dollars of assessed evaluation.

Here's what the ballot measure reads:

“Shall the Board of Education of the Ash Grove R-IV School District, Missouri, borrow money in the amount of Nine Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($9,400,000) for the purpose of providing funds for the site development, construction, equipping, and furnishing of additional restrooms, classroom space and a gymnasium to Ash Grove Elementary (that will also function as a saferoom for the entire Ash Grove campus); to the extent funds are available, complete other remodeling, repairs and improvements to the existing facilities of the District, and issue general obligation bonds for the payment thereof resulting in an estimated increase to the debt service property tax levy of $0.3000 per hundred dollars of assessed valuation?”