Johnson County Unified School District 233 will build a new high school in Olathe, Kan. if voters approve a $244.8 million bond referendum in a mail-in election. Ballots will be distributed soon and must be returned between May 22 and June 11.
Approval of the bonds will not require a tax increase.
Projects to be funded with the bonds include the district’s fifth high school for $114.3 million, $11 million for a new elementary school, $49 million for district-wide renovations, $29 million for more secure school entrances, and $25 million of technology upgrades.
District enrollment increased by 600 students last year, said Superintendent Marlin Berry, and the existing high schools are rapidly reaching their maximum capacity. If voters approve the bonds, the new high school could open in 2018.
School trustees expect strong support for the bond referendum, said board president Amy Martin.
“We felt that the strong recommendation from the bond task force represented what the community feels is necessary for our schools,” she said.
The district’s $372 million of outstanding GO debt is rated AA by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s Investors Service.
The suburban Kansas City district is the third-largest school district in Kansas.
