Board approves resolution signaling intent to place Prop C proxy on April 2026 ballot

The Lee's Summit R-VII Board of Education on Monday approved a resolution of intent to place a proxy question related to the district's Prop C rollback on the April 2026 ballot.

The board approved the motion after a roughly one-hour discussion that centered on whether to hold a vote in August 2025 or April 2026, how clear ballot language should be, and how any proceeds would be applied to employee salaries. Board Member Miller moved to approve the resolution of intent; the motion was seconded and the board voted to approve the item.

Board leadership and staff said April 2026 better matches the district's timing needs and outreach plans. Superintendent Dr. Buck said counsel Ben Thompson, who drafted the intent resolution, advised against placing full ballot language more than a year in advance and recommended an intent resolution. Dr. Buck told the board putting the question on an August ballot would cost an additional "over $100,000" and could create timing problems: "If we do that in August, we would collect the money next year, but we would be unable to give it [to salaries] because we had already started contracts. Correct, Joe? So, we would collect money for the intent that we couldn't do."

That timing, Dr. Buck said, is the principal reason the administration and board leadership now support an April 2026 vote rather than August 2025. Board members asked that the final ballot language clearly explain the tax implications for voters: Board Member Haley said he would support placing the question on the ballot "as long as it is transparent to the voters of what we're doing." Dr. Buck also cautioned the board about technical accuracy, saying counsel warned the tax rate could fall or rise depending on timing and other factors: "We don't want to say your tax rate will go up, because it may actually go down. It depends on when it's passed and what's happening at that time."

On the fiscal side, administration said Team Lee Summit's most recent package recommended roughly $6 million in funds for salary improvements, including an approximate $560 increase to the teachers' base pay and other base adjustments. Dr. Buck said the $6 million equates to about a 3.42% average raise for teachers next year and that an approved Prop C waiver in addition could have produced roughly an additional 2.5% on average for teachers (administration described that as approximately $4 million in added capacity, depending on the final package). Board Member Heslick emphasized the district's intent to use any additional funds to make "targeted raises for certain subsets of our staff who are lagging in the bottom third," not only blanket increases.

Board members also said they were trying to honor the Citizens' Advisory Committee recommendation, which had been split narrowly on timing. Miller said the resolution was presented to "honor the CAC recommendation by putting forth this item" and that board leadership had pushed the item back onto the agenda to reflect that recommendation plus new information about timing and ballot language.

The resolution of intent does not contain final ballot language and Dr. Buck said bond counsel and staff plan to work on language that clearly explains the implications for voters. Bond counsel Ben Thompson authored the draft; Thompson was not in attendance. David Carlson, the district staff contact working with the outside study on support and administrative salaries, told the board the outside study will produce preliminary results this summer and a fuller Team Lee Summit presentation in the fall.

The board approved the resolution of intent by motion; the official ballot language and any specific levy figures will be brought forward at a later meeting.

Notes on procedure: Board members debated the motion in open session before voting. The intent resolution is a signal by this board to place the question on the April 2026 ballot; it is not the final ballot language and does not by itself enact any tax changes.