½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

The ½ûÂþÌìÌà (½ûÂþÌìÌÃ) Board of Education has referred a proposed 2025 School Bond to voters. If approved by voters on May 20, the proposed 2025 School Bond would fund projects that address additional building, health, safety, and learning needs in schools across the District, while continuing ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ’s plan to comprehensively address facility needs by improving all of our schools over the long term. If approved by voters, the tax rate would continue to be approximately $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, the level targeted by the 2017 bond. 

Because the previous bond’s tax rates are decreasing—due to declining debt service—if voters approve the $1.827 billion in principal amount of general obligation bonds, the tax rate would continue to be approximately $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. If the proposed bond is not approved by voters, the tax rate would gradually decrease, and the projects outlined above would not be completed.

As with the 2012, 2017, and 2020 capital improvement school bonds, if the measure is approved, ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ’s Bond Accountability Committee—an independent group of appointed community members—would review quarterly reports and audits of how the bond dollars are being spent, to provide accountability to the public until construction is complete.

In 2012, 2017, and 2020, voters approved capital bonds that funded improvements to ½ûÂþÌìÌà buildings, most of which were built over 75 years ago. The previous bonds have funded modernization and rebuilding projects that are completed or under construction, including:

• Modernization of Roosevelt, Franklin, Grant, McDaniel (Madison), and Benson Polytechnic High Schools.
• Rebuilding of Faubion PK-8, Kellogg Middle School, and Lincoln High School.
• Master planning and design work to modernize Jefferson, Cleveland, and Ida B. Wells High Schools.

In addition, the previous bonds have funded projects at every school throughout the district that are completed or under construction, including: