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Lakota officials brief West Chester trustees on proposed November bond, say state would cover about 32%
Summary
Lakota Schools representatives told trustees on July 22 that a proposed bond on the November ballot would fund building reconfiguration and repairs, and that the state’s Expedited Local Partnership (ELP) program could reimburse roughly 32% of eligible costs; trustees and residents pressed the district on possible school decommissions, bus times and tax impacts.
Lakota Schools officials presented an informational briefing to the West Chester Township Board of Trustees on July 22 about a proposed bond the district plans to place on the November ballot, outlining grade‑band reconfiguration, a phased construction timeline and potential taxpayer impacts.
Adam Zink, treasurer for Lakota Schools, said the district is pursuing the state’s Expedited Local Partnership program and that "the state will actually contribute 32% toward this project for us by partnering with them." Presenters described proposed grade bands of pre‑K/K–5, 6–8 junior highs and consolidated 9–12 high schools to reduce student transitions and improve learning environments.
Why it matters: Lakota officials said some older buildings were designated by ELP standards for decommissioning, and that the district expects multi‑year phasing to reach the state credits. That could mean rebuilt, reconfigured or removed footprints for some neighborhood schools in West Chester; trustees and residents asked how those changes would affect local students’ bus times and daily routines.
Details provided by Lakota included timing and tax examples. The district said Phase 1 targets grades 6–12 to be ready for the 2028–29 school year, and that ELP credits could take roughly eight years to fully accrue. The presenters used a $100,000 county appraised value to estimate a 2.66‑mill permanent improvement levy at about $93.10 per year; they said homestead/rollback reductions could lower that to $69.83 for qualifying seniors or disabled taxpayers.
Trustees and residents asked whether specific West Chester schools — including Adena Freedom, Hopewell Junior, Hopewell Elementary, Heritage and Shawnee — would be eliminated or rebuilt. The presenter said some sites may be decommissioned and others rebuilt or reconfigured, and staff emphasized ongoing evaluation of sites and routing to minimize extra bus time for students.
The district noted that some site land could be repurposed for community fields or partnerships even if a building is decommissioned. Officials said the board recently approved a resolution of intent and that credits begin to accrue after initial qualifying expenditures and master plan approval; no levy or bond was voted on by the trustees during the presentation.
Next steps: Lakota will continue community engagement and planning; trustees and residents were invited to submit questions as the district finalizes designs and financial modeling. The presentation was informational; the district and trustees signaled additional public outreach before any ballot measure is finalized.
