Secure entrances at the Elementary and JH/HS, improved visitor management and ADA improvements
Updated Science and (FACS) Family and Consumer Sciences classrooms to support hands-on learning
Safer, accessible equipment and playground surface replacement for elementary students
By focusing on essential projects, eliminating lower-priority items, and refining construction plans, the district has been able to reduce overall costs while still delivering the upgrades our schools need most.
Although some improvements were in athletic areas, they focused on safety, accessibility, and code compliance—not athletics alone. For example, the new concession stand improves accessibility and crowd safety, and updates at the baseball/softball facilities created safer, dedicated changing areas.
These projects were also driven by funding and timing. When the first GO Bond failed, the district used available SAVE funds to complete critical safety and accessibility work right away, avoiding rising construction costs while continuing to plan for broader school safety upgrades.
Lower-priority projects may be considered in future phases or funding opportunities. Right now, the focus is on delivering the most essential improvements first.
The project will use a combination of financing resources. $9.3 million of the total project cost will be funded using General Obligation Bonds, which come from property taxes within the District. Approximately $4.0 million will come from SAVE funds, which are allotted to each District in the state of Iowa, generated by a statewide sales tax.
A GO bond is a method of long-term financing that a school district may use to borrow money for construction projects. This spreads the cost of the project over a number of years, similar to a home mortgage. The school district uses property tax funds to repay the debt.
On November 4th, the District will need a super majority (60% + 1 vote) for the bond to pass.
In addition to the homestead tax credit, eligible claimants who are 65 years of age or older on or before January 1 of the assessment year are now eligible for a homestead tax exemption. For assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, the exemption is an additional $6,500 of taxable value – total reduction of $11,350. Contact your County Assessor’s office for more information:
Woodbury County
Monona County
Upon the passage of a successful bond, design work would begin immediately with the plan to begin construction in mid-2026. Construction will be phased to accommodate students and the use of the building.
