Belgrade board approves resolution to call bond election for fourth elementary, adds separate gym question

The Belgrade School District Board of Trustees voted to call a bond election for a fourth elementary school, with a separate question asking voters whether to include a full-size gym.

The board approved the revised resolution after extended discussion about enrollment capacity, projected staffing costs and how tax impacts should be presented to voters. The motion to adopt the updated ballot language — which the administration rewrote to explicitly include a previously discussed $20 million item — passed by voice vote.

Chair (speaker 1) told trustees the district lacks capacity "without building that fourth elementary school to move 5th graders back into elementary," framing the measure as necessary to address space constraints that prevent moving fifth grade out of the middle school. The administration also provided a rough staffing estimate for a new elementary: about $225,000 a year for a set of partial and full-time positions, including intervention and support staff, a full-time secretary and one custodial position.

Trustees pressed the superintendent and finance staff on the ballot language and tax impact. Staff said updated taxable-value figures reduced the per-household estimate compared with earlier projections; for example, in the presentation staff showed an updated figure of about $81 a year for a $600,000 house for the draft total as presented. Board members noted that prior bond language had been criticized for obscuring the full dollar amounts and said the revised language makes total costs explicit.

Debate touched on strategy and timing. Some trustees urged caution, noting the district’s most recent bond attempts were competitive and that public outreach would be essential to pass the measure. Others argued delaying the measure risks higher building costs in future years and could forfeit the benefit of previously approved authorization for a related $20 million item. Speakers referenced community concern about 5th graders in the middle school and said the bond is the primary way to resolve that.

The motion passed. The board directed staff to use the revised resolution language that includes the total dollar amounts and to begin the public information and outreach period required before a bond election.

Next steps: the board will set formal timelines for canvassing public information, finalize ballot language and schedule any public forums during the statutory 75-day outreach window before the election.