Officials with the Basehor-Linwood School District, Kan., are looking at having a school bond issue election next year.
Superintendent David Howard said planning is still in the early stages, but the Board of Education could schedule an election for some time in February.
Howard said board members have been discussing the possibility of constructing one or two new elementary schools, opening an early childhood education center and adding onto Basehor-Linwood Middle School. He said a bond issue also could include safety and security improvements around the district.
Howard said school officials do not yet have a dollar figure for the bond issue, but right now it appears to be in the range of $50 million to $60 million.
The school district's last bond issue was in 2015. That bond issue paid for a career and technical education addition to Basehor-Linwood High School as well as other projects.
The superintendent said growth in enrollment is a main reason for considering another bond issue. He said the district is growing by about 4 percent each year.
Howard said the district had an enrollment of about 1,800 students 11 years ago.
"We're pushing 2,500 now," he said.
He said Basehor-Linwood may have its largest kindergarten class in history next year. Based on the number of people who signed up for a kindergarten roundup program, the superintendent said the district may have more than 200 kindergarten students next year.
Currently, the district has about 175 kindergarten students.
Howard said anyone who lives in Basehor knows there is a lot of construction going on as the city continues to grow.
Howard said school board members are looking at building a new elementary school in Basehor as well as one somewhere between Glenwood Ridge Elementary School and Linwood. He said the addition being considered for the middle school would include new classrooms and an auditorium.
If constructed, an early education center could include preschool classes. He said the district's Parents As Teachers program and an existing special education preschool program also could be moved to the center.
He said school officials also are looking at the possibility of starting a day care for children of district personnel at the early childhood education center.
"That would be funded by our staff," he said of the day care.
Howard said the dollar figure for a proposed bond issue could be impacted by a cap that limits the total amount of money spent on bond issues in Kansas each fiscal year.
"So we may have to kind of narrow our request and see what we can fit in," he said.
The Basehor-Linwood Board of Education has had several work sessions to discuss facility needs. Another work session is scheduled for May 30.
As part of the planning process for a bond issue, the district will have a firm conduct a survey of school district patrons.
"They'll do some telephone interviews," Howard said.
He said an online component also will be set up to allow people who are not surveyed by phone to answer questions.
Once preliminary plans are in place, district officials will have community meetings to inform people about the direction that is being taken and allow public input.
