Lewis Central Comm School District board approves pre‑levy resolution to issue about $9.5 million in bonds
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Summary
The Lewis Central Comm School District board approved a resolution authorizing approximately $9.5 million in general‑obligation bonds to be levied for repayment; board members voted unanimously and the district says higher taxable valuation will let it keep the levy flat and retire bonds earlier.
The Lewis Central Comm School District board voted to approve a pre‑levy resolution authorizing the issuance of approximately $9,500,000 in general‑obligation school bonds, series 2026, and to levy a tax for their payment. The motion was made by a board member and seconded; a roll‑call vote recorded support from all voting members and the resolution passed.
District staff told the board the district’s taxable valuation rose about 16.4%—far higher than the 5.8% the district had anticipated—allowing the district to keep the tax levy flat while allocating more revenue to accelerate bond repayment. Officials presented a spreadsheet showing the bonds could be paid off by 2031 and estimated the change would save roughly $270,000 in total debt service compared with earlier assumptions.
Board discussion focused on timing and cash flow rather than changes to the projects the bonds will fund. Superintendent (unnamed in the transcript) said the authorization is a procedural step that lets the district proceed with selling bonds; specifics about final sale timing, interest rates and exact allocations were not decided at the meeting.
Separately, the board voted to table action on approval of metal‑building materials for the athletic building, delaying a procurement decision while staff completes bid comparisons. During discussion, staff said a state contract with BlueScope out of Kansas City could accelerate procurement but that the state‑contract price and specified materials appeared more expensive and of lower specified quality than preliminary local estimates. Staff gave a timeline comparison: a state contract route might finish in about 22–26 weeks, whereas a competitive local bidding process could take roughly 16–20 weeks of construction but adds an estimated five weeks to procurement.
Next steps: the board approved the pre‑levy resolution; staff will move forward with the bond issuance process and continue work on procurement options for the athletic building materials, bringing recommended contract language and final figures to a future meeting.