PLEASANT HILL, Iowa — Voters in the Southeast Polk School District will soon vote on a $51 million bond referendum that would fund the construction of a new elementary school, upgrades to all PK-5 playgrounds and renovations to the junior high.
The referendum proposal received nearly 2,000 signatures from district voters, more than the 1,400 required to place it on the Nov. 4 ballot. If 60% of voters approve the referendum on Nov. 4, the district will issue $51 million in General Obligation bonds to fund projects in the approved plan.
The referendum would not increase the Southeast Polk’s school tax rate, which currently sits at $15.42 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. That rate has decreased by more than $6 in the past decade. Across Iowa, school district tax levies currently range from nearly $8 to slightly over $19.
Projects in Southeast Polk’s bond referendum
In a note to Southeast Polk families and staff, Superintendent Dirk Halupnik said the district’s facilities “must evolve to meet increasing demand.”…