Northwest Iowa — Voters in two Sioux County school districts will soon be going to the polls to decide the fate of two multi-million dollar bond issues for new construction.
In the Rock Valley School District, on the table is a $25 million bond issue, which will go toward a high school addition to the existing facility.
School officials tell us that school district residents were asked to complete a survey this past fall. Of those completing the survey, 95% said they would support the construction of a high school space connected to the current facility on the west side of the current building. In November, district residents were invited to participate in the building design phase, which resulted in a clear favorite for the design of a new high school and remodel of the existing middle/high school.
The project will be a new high school attached to the current school. The addition will include 24 new classrooms. It would also include the remodeling of the existing middle/high school for larger classrooms for middle school only. It will also include a new 1800-seat competition gym and a two-lane walking track, among other items.
The officials say that if it is approved, the bond would have an estimated property tax impact of $1.30 on every $1,000 of the assessed property value (based on the current tax rate). When you factor in the state rollback and the Homestead Credit, they say this would lead to an increase of $5.35 per month ($64.20 per year) on a home worth $100,000.
Text of bond issue:
“Shall the Board of Directors of the RockValley Community School District in the counties of Sioux and Lyon, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000 to provide funds to be used together with sales tax revenue to provide funds to build, furnish and equip a high school addition to the existing facility, including a related parking lot, bus pick-up lane and other site improvements; and to remodel, repair, and improve the existing facility and site?”
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In the West Sioux School District, on the table is a nearly $15.7 million bond issue, which will go toward a new elementary school.
School officials tell us that in December of 2019, the West Sioux Board of Directors reviewed the condition of the district facilities, specifically the three educational buildings. They hired FEH, an architectural firm, to assist in this process and perform this assessment. Once this was complete, they discussed the best way to proceed with updating their facilities.
Officials tell us that from these discussions, it was apparent that renovations and updates would be expensive. At that point, the board began discussing whether it would be more advantageous in the long run to build a new building rather than trying to update the two existing elementary schools. After conducting surveys with the staff and community, hosting tours, holding drawing sessions with the community, and participating in numerous work sessions, the board concluded that the best option would be to build a PK – 5 building in Ireton.
They also tell us that if the measure passes, the overall levy rate increase will be no more than $2.60/$1,000 of taxable valuation. Officials say they can work with their other levies and decrease them for the short term to offset the higher debt service levy while they allow their one-cent sales tax to regenerate and then use some of those dollars to offset the levy rate to maintain it at no more than an increase of $2.60.
Text of bond issue:
“Shall the Board of Directors of the West Sioux Community School District in the counties of Plymouth and Sioux, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $15,685,000 to provide funds to be used together with physical plant and equipment levy and sales tax revenues to provide funds to build, furnish and equip a new elementary building, including related site improvements?”
