Bonds to fund construction of new elementary school in Jackson

At their first meeting of 2013, members of the Jackson School Board on Thursday night voted to sell the Jackson School District's remaining general-obligation bonds earmarked for the construction of an elementary school.

The bonds, approved by Jackson voters in April 2012, will be used to build the district's seventh elementary school -- on North Lacey Street -- at a cost of $16 million.

Wade Bartels, chief financial officer for the district, said before the meeting the sale of the remaining bonds would bring in the outstanding $7 million needed for construction.

"We let $9 million worth of bonds for the new building after voters approved the bond issue in April [2012]," Bartels said. "We felt it wasn't necessary to issue the full bond package at that time, and the reason for that was the savings on the interest the district would've had to have paid. It would've been that much more debt to service. Now, in this new year, we feel it's time to get the entire funding together for the new school building."

Bartels said the bonds do not affect the district's current debt-service levy.

"There were no new taxes called for in the school district when the bond issue was passed," he said. "Because of that, the debt-service levy was unchanged."

Bartels said construction bids would be let soon.

"The plans and specifications for the new building are coming," he said. "I'm unsure of an exact date, but bids for construction could be let in the next month or so, pending board approval."

Other action

• The board voted to grant a sewer-line easement at Orchard Elementary School to an adjacent subdivision under construction.
• The board voted to set Thursday, May 16, as the graduation date for the 2012-2013 academic year.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address: 614 E. Adams St., Jackson, Mo.