2025 Bond
The Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education has placed a no tax rate increase bond issue on the April 8 ballot.
The $225 million bond issue includes the construction of new buildings for Hazel Grove and Greenwood elementaries, renovations for Pleasant Lea Middle School and Miller Park Center, high school athletic field upgrades, safety and security improvements, and critical maintenance and repairs throughout the district, among other items.
Also approved by the Board: a special resolution addressing Lee’s Summit Elementary (LSE) and Westview (WVE) elementaries.
Bond 2025 Recommended Project List
- Greenwood Elementary (New Build)
- Hazel Grove Elementary (New Build)
- Westview Elementary/Lee’s Summit Elementary (Project Plans Pending Additional Study)**
- Pleasant Lea Middle School (Renovations: Sixth Grade Addition, Site Work)
- Miller Park (Renovations: Entryway, Site Work)
- Aerospace Hangar (Aerospace Program)
- Baseball and Softball Field Upgrades at Lee's Summit North and Lee's Summit West High School
- Soccer and Band Field Upgrades at all Three High Schools
- Safety and Security Improvements
- Classroom Furniture
- General Capital Improvements
- Purchase of Land
**What does this mean? The Board has committed bond dollars to both schools, while deferring decision-making about specific project plans until additional research and engagement can occur.
Lee's Summit and Westview Elementary
At the Dec. 19 Board meeting, the Board of Education unanimously voted to set aside bond dollars for Lee’s Summit and Westview elementaries, while deferring any decision about a district’s proposed consolidation until specific additional research and engagement could occur.
The resolution was considered in response to a district proposal made earlier this year to address declining enrollment at Lee’s Summit Elementary (LSE) and Westview (WVE) elementaries by consolidating both attendance areas in a renovated, state-of-the-art building on the Westview campus.
At its Jan.16 Board of Education meeting, elected officials finalized specific plans for the engagement they want to see before making a decision, including the formation of an LSE/WVE Process Action Team charged with making recommendation to the Board regarding the future of Lee’s Summit Elementary and Westview Elementary with regards to the 2025 Bond.
The committee is made up primarily of stakeholders from the LSE and WVE school communities and is facilitated by an external consultant.
Learn more about the LSE/WVE process action team, including expressing interest in serving.
Other Information About Proposed Consolidation:
- Original Q+A shared on Nov. 6
- Updated Q+A shared with Board of Education on Dec. 19
Quick Facts
- Board members approved the bond issue by a 7-0 vote at their Dec. 19 regular monthly meeting.
- The bond issue would fund major building improvements and districtwide maintenance and equipment needs identified through an 18-month stakeholder process.
- The Board is also expected to consider a recommendation from a community team to authorize a Missouri Prop C rollback election at its Jan. 16 board meeting.
What is a no tax rate increase bond issue? A school bond issue is a financing tool used by districts to pay for capital projects, such as new buildings, renovations or land purchases. In a bond issue, districts ask voters if they can issue bonds to borrow money to cover the costs of these capital projects, and pay them back with property tax revenue. In a no tax rate increase bond issue, districts ask voters to hold the tax rate at the same rate in order to fund future facility needs. The district will ask voters on the April 8, 2025 ballot to keep the debt service tax rate at $0.87 in order to fund the projects outlined above.
The Process
The district conducted an 18-month stakeholder process to involve citizens in guiding bond planning work, from initial needs analysis by Comprehensive Facilities Master Planning teams to a final recommendation from the Citizens' Advisory Committee regarding which projects the district should pursue with available funds.
Comprehensive Facilities Master Planning (CFMP)
Impact:
- Reviewed engagement surveys in Fall 2023 taken by more than 3,400 parents, staff and community members identifying districtwide and building-specific needs.
- Identified $560M in capital needs districtwide over the next five years.
- Identified five priority areas for those needs: ADA accessibility, safety and security, future-ready learning, infrastructure upgrades and programmatic improvements.
Stakeholder Involvement:
160 stakeholders in district and building-level teams.
Timeline of Work:
August 2024 - May 2024.
Materials:
Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)
Impact:
- Reviewed $560M in capital needs (CFMP work).
- Considered $311M in available funds to address these needs.
- Studied enrollment, building capacity, budget and historical data.
- Analyzed community perception data from telephone polling and digital surveying.
- Recommended which projects to address in 2025 and which to defer.
Stakeholder Involvement:
35 members as well as 14 members of the CFMP committee
Timeline of Work:
May 2024 - November 2024
Materials:
