44 Million Dollar Bond Issue on April Ballot

The Kearney School District Board of Education is asking residents to vote on a $44 million zero-tax-rate-increase bond issue on April 5. The bond issue will go to fund a new long-range facilities master plan for the district. 

The school district’s plan calls for adding a fifth elementary school to address growth in student enrollment; adding classrooms for the Early Education Center; updating school facilities to meet current and future teaching and learning needs for students; and providing safety and facility improvements across the district. Approval of the bond issue will not increase the district's property tax rate.

Kearney School District leaders worked with parents and staff for about a year as part of the Long-Range Facilities Planning committee to develop a new districtwide facilities plan to ensure that schools are well maintained and continue to meet the educational needs of their students. 

Enrollment trends indicate the district may need additional capacity for students in pre-K through fifth grade. In addition, the committee identified a need for improvements across the district to facilitate 21st-Century teaching and learning for all students.

Every few years, the Kearney School District updates its districtwide facilities master plan in order to protect the community’s investment in Kearney schools. Updated plans address building needs for learning purposes and emphasize keeping the district's aging facilities maintained and in good repair. 

The last facilities master plan was supported by Kearney residents with a $27 million zero-tax-rate-increase bond issue that was approved by voters in April 2017 to fund updates and improvements included in the plan. Since then, the district has maintained the debt service levy (the portion of its tax rate that can only be used for paying off bond issue debt) unchanged at $1.19 per $100 of assessed value. 

The school district now seeks a $44 million zero-tax-rate-increase bond on April 5, 2022. The current debt service levy rate will be extended if this new bond is approved by Kearney School District residents.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story