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District outlines bond priorities: elementary capacity, Matthews upgrades, secure vestibules and middle-school facilities
Summary
District staff and architects outlined priorities being considered for a potential April 2026 bond: expand elementary capacity (including work at Matthews Elementary), add secure vestibules, and develop middle-school athletic facilities such as a track and turf field.
District administrators told the Grain Valley R-V Board of Education that they are developing a bond proposal that could appear on an April 2026 ballot.
The facilities planning update described four top priorities: expand elementary capacity across the district (bringing Matthews Elementary from a three-section to a four-section model), make other improvements at Matthews including better arrival and dismissal traffic flow, install higher-security vestibules that limit visitor access after screening, and add middle-school-level athletic facilities (a track and a turf field) to expand extracurricular programming.
Administrators said the district's demography study does not support immediate construction of a fifth elementary school, so the recommended approach is investment in existing sites to increase capacity. The presentation noted efficiencies at four-section elementary schools and that some buildings are built to occasionally accommodate five sections for large grade cohorts.
Architect Nicole Young of Hollis and Miller Architects joined district staff and was described as available to answer technical questions. District leaders said the goal is to have a solid proposal for the board by December ahead of a potential April 2026 ballot campaign; they also said some items may be presented as contingent projects depending on bonding capacity.
Board members asked clarifying questions about traffic flow at Matthews and how middle-school facilities could be shared with high-school programming. Staff said prior facility additions (for example, a second high-school gym) had benefitted multiple levels and that expanded capacity and secure vestibules were seen as highest priorities.
No formal vote was required for the facilities update; it was provided as planning information for the board.
