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St. Joseph board adopts April ballot language for $157 million bond to fund new high school south of U.S. 36
Summary
The St. Joseph School District board on Jan. 27 approved ballot language asking voters to authorize $157 million in general obligation bonds to build a new high school complex and make other facility improvements, estimating a 60-cent increase in the debt-service property tax levy.
The St. Joseph School District Board of Education voted Jan. 27 to place a $157 million bond measure on the April 8, 2025 special election ballot that would fund the site acquisition, site development, construction, equipping and furnishing of a new high school complex to be located south of U.S. 36 and other district facility repairs and improvements.
Board President Doctor Edgar read proposed ballot language and the board voted to adopt it. The measure would raise the district—s debt-service property tax levy by an estimated 60 cents per $100 of assessed valuation if approved by voters.
Board members heard a presentation from district staff and financial advisers about the proposed scope and projected cost. Planners updated the board on the campus concept for the new high school, showing a roughly 248,000-square-foot facility with a 700-seat performing arts center, reduced parking from earlier estimates, football seating split 1,500 home/500 visitor, and other site amenities. Creel/Clark architects and LJ Hart financial advisers told the board the changes and the PAC inclusion increased the projected cost to about $156.5 million, which the administration rounded to $157 million for the ballot.
Neil (LJ Hart) presented financing scenarios using three assessed-valuation growth assumptions (1.25%, 1.75%, 2.25%). Under the board—s middle growth case (1.75%), a levy increase of 60 cents would put the district in a position to have roughly $122.5 million of legal bonding capacity by 2033 without raising the levy further, the firm said. The administration said those projections assume ongoing annual debt prepayments when AV growth exceeds assumptions, a practice the district has used in prior years.
Superintendent Doctor Edgar and staff told the board the proposed language identifies the first high school site generally as south of U.S. 36 to signal intent to the public while preserving practical flexibility for negotiating land purchases. Board members debated whether to add additional geographical limits (for example, west of I-29). The board ultimately left the ballot language as proposed and approved the resolution to call a special bond election.
The board voted to adopt the ballot resolution as read; the motion passed by voice vote with all members voting yes.
The board president asked district staff to circulate guidance on campaign rules and electioneering to trustees and staff; the administration said it would deliver that information the following day. Staff also said signed resolution documents would be distributed for required signatures before the April ballot-filing deadline.
Votes at a glance - Resolution calling a special school bond election for April 8, 2025 (Proposition 2): motion to adopt ballot language passed unanimously (6-0).
