MidAmerica Technology Center superintendent seeks 4‑mill building fund increase to build northwest campus

Mike Eubank, superintendent of MidAmerica Technology Center, told the Newcastle City Council on July 14 that the center will ask voters in its 18‑district taxing area to approve a ballot measure on Aug. 12 to raise its building fund millage from 1 mill to 4 mills.

Eubank said the additional revenue would fund construction of a full campus in the district’s northwest corner to reduce travel times for students from Bridge Creek, Blanchard and Newcastle, who currently drive 35–40 miles to the Wayne campus. “That 3‑mill increase will amount to about $60 for the average home in McLean County,” Eubank said, adding that Garvin County homeowners would pay somewhat less — “in the $40 to $50 a year” range, according to his presentation.

MidAmerica, established in 1968, serves high school and adult career‑technical programs and has been operating at a 1‑mill building fund rate since 1995, Eubank said. The center said it would revert to a lower millage level after construction and initial build‑out — the superintendent suggested 2 mills as a reasonable long‑term rate — and emphasized that the 4‑mill request would be temporary to finance the new campus.

Why this matters: Tech center enrollment demand on the northwest side of the district has outpaced available seats, the superintendent said, and the center turned away more students this year than it enrolled. Council members asked procedural and operational questions but did not take action on the school’s request, which will be decided by the center’s voters on Aug. 12.

Supporting details: Eubank described a multi‑county voting footprint that includes all of Garvin and McClain counties and parts of Grady, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Pontotoc, Johnson and Stephens counties. He said the campaign would aim to build capacity for 700–1,200 seats and to stand up five to seven programs quickly once funding and a site are secured. He also explained differences between a school bond and a building‑fund millage, saying bonds are usually larger, shorter‑term obligations and not commonly used by tech centers because they compete with sending districts for bonding capacity.

Eubank provided a best‑case construction timeline in response to council questions: if voters approve the millage on Aug. 12 and site access issues resolve, he said he would hope to break ground the following spring and potentially open initial programs by August 2027 in an optimistic scenario. He described that schedule as optimistic and acknowledged it depends on permitting, site preparation and coordination with local schools.

Context: MidAmerica is one of three career‑tech centers in the state that currently operate at 1 mill; many others operate at higher millage rates, Eubank said. He said the center had purchased property earlier but is seeking a larger parcel (about 60 acres) for a full duplicate campus.

Ending: The millage question will appear to the voters in the tech center’s taxing footprint on Aug. 12. Newcastle council members received the presentation and asked clarifying questions; no city action was required or taken on the school’s ballot request.