By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The St. Joseph School Board is looking to put a no-tax increase bond issue before voters next year.
The school board is considering placing a $20 million bond issue on either the April or August ballot in 2024 - a bond issue that would focus primarily on facilities.
School board member David Foster says the money would pay for new student activity facilities.
"Some of the things we're looking to do is maybe enhance our athletic department," Foster said during an appearance on KFEQ's The Hotline. "Maybe new football fields. Perhaps fine arts - a new theatre or two."
The School District overwhelmingly passed a measure in August 2022 - a tax levy renewal that went towards maintenance costs and teacher salary increases. More than 71 percent voters were in favor of that.
Foster says the school board will decide in January the size of the bond issue, and whether it will be on the April or August ballot.
Fellow board member Isaura Garcia says her top priorities for facility improvements are basic safety mechanisms, such as adding more sidewalks.
"There's still a lot of schools that don't have sidewalks," she said. "There's a lot of schools that need large maintenance work. So, putting the funds into really enhancing what we already have would be the best thing for me."
The school board could borrow up to $80 million without increasing taxes, but the goal is to keep it to within $20 million.
Foster notes that the public will have a say before the issue gets on the ballot.
"Some of this will be up to the comments and opinions of the public," he said. "It will be presented to our facilities planning committee. We can take all of this information, dissect it, take it to the board and see where it goes from there."
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