Planning for the Future
Facility Improvements Without Tax Increase
While construction of classroom space is underway at both East Elementary and Mid-Prairie Middle School, the Mid-Prairie Community School District is poised to take another step in addressing facility needs throughout the district.
The plan will address several immediate needs, including multiple issues at West Elementary through additional classroom space, a new HVAC system, and paving and parking improvements. Safety issues at East and West Elementary schools caused by traffic and parking challenges will also be addressed. The proposal also includes a new district multipurpose wrestling and activity center that will be designed for future flexibility.
The total cost for the plan is $8.7 million, which requires voter approval on November 7 to sell bonds to fund the project. The proposed plan is tax neutral, which means the current property tax rate will not increase.
What's the plan?
How will we pay for the plan?
This plan will cost $8.7 million dollars. Because Mid-Prairie’s school board and district leadership have been careful stewards of both taxpayer and state revenue streams, the district can address facility needs without raising taxes. The plan will be funded through a general obligation bond that requires voter approval but will not increase property tax rates.
How will the bond affect my taxes?
Your property tax rate will not go up. We can do this because the Mid-Prairie district leadership and board have strategically been planning for these projects. Because the district has paid off existing debts early and has used sales tax to pay for work underway at the Middle School and East Elementary, we are able to address facility needs at no additional cost to taxpayers.
What will the ballot say?
On November 7, 2023, the Mid-Prairie Community School District will ask voters within the district boundaries to approve a general obligation bond that will fund improvements for the district:
Shall the Board of Directors of the Mid-Prairie Community School District in the Counties of Washington, Iowa, and Johnson, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $8,700,000 to provide funds to build, furnish and equip a wrestling / activity center at the high school, including related site improvements; to improve the East Elementary and West Elementary sites, including improved pickup and drop off routes and parking improvements to address student safety concerns; and to build, furnish, and equip additional classroom space at West Elementary with related remodeling and improvements, HVAC improvements, and site improvements?
How do I vote?
Early
Vote early in person at the auditor in your county of residence during business hours Monday through Friday from October 18 through November 6.
Absentee
Request an absentee ballot from your county’s auditor beginning August 29. Print an absentee ballot request form online: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/absenteeballotapp.pdf
Absentee ballot requests must be received by the auditor by 15 days prior to the election. Once a request form has been submitted, the auditor will mail you a ballot. Completed ballots must be received by the auditor by 8 p.m. on election day. Ballots can also be surrendered at your polling location on election day.
Election Day: November 7, 2023
On election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., eligible voters may vote at their assigned polling place. For more information regarding polling locations, please contact your county auditor’s office or visit https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx
How did we get here?
The Mid-Prairie Community School District Board called the election on August 14. In doing so, they accepted a petition signed by 353 eligible voters in the school district asking the district to hold an election on November 7. The petition outlined the proposed plan, presented to the board on July 10. The plan is the result of work by a committee, which includes 45 Mid-Prairie community members, parents, business owners, and school employees, met five times between March and June of this year.
Meetings were facilitated by OPN Architects and the district’s construction manager Carl A. Nelson.
The committee came to its final recommendation after considering input from multiple sources, including facility assessments, past planning work by prior committees, district staff and the results of the community-wide survey circulated in April and completed by 493 people.
Ultimately, the plan is what the group determined would best address immediate needs without increasing property taxes and allowing the district the ability to pay off the $8.7 million bond early in order to begin to address other larger items in the near future. The committee realizes there are additional needs and hopes to continue proactively meeting to plan for that next step.