The West Des Moines Community School District will have a $135 million bond issue on the Nov. 4 ballot for voters to decide whether to approve funds for widespread improvements to classrooms and other school facilities.
The West Des Moines school board approved the bond resolution on Monday, Aug. 25. There are no timelines or renderings yet available, but district spokesperson Bryan Geelan said “Every district building will be touched” by the work the bond issue would pay for.
Here’s what the proposal would mean for the district and its taxpayers, which includes not only West Des Moines but parts of Clive, Urbandale and Windsor Heights.
What West Des Moines school projects would the bonds pay for?
Geelan said the emphasis of the bond issue would be on the modernization of instructional spaces in every district building.
The projects listed in school board documents include:
How much would property taxes increase in West Des Moines?
The school district’s current tax levy is at $12.22.
The $135 million bond issue would raise the levy up to $13.74, according to information the district’s chief financial officer Kurt Subra showed the school board.
At $13.74, the owner of a home in the district valued at $300,000 would pay $17.41 more per month and $208.92 more per year.
Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How West Des Moines schools’ proposed $135M bond issues could impact property taxes
Reporting by Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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