School bond issue

Now that the Cape Girardeau School District has decided to ask voters to approve a $40 million bond issue for a new elementary school, a performance center at Central High School and an event stadium, plus upgrades to existing facilities, officials must make a convincing case by the time the April 6 election rolls around.

Among the points that will be made is the fact that this plan would not increase taxes. A bond tax for previous construction and improvements is set to expire. Approval of the new plan would extend the tax.

Another point officials will make is that, with interest rates at historic lows, financing costs are likely to be as low as they ever will be. The district has included some optional spending items that could be addressed if bids are lower than expected.

One point that will likely be addressed is the effect on operating costs of the planned projects. An analysis before the board vote earlier this month conservatively estimated the impact to be $28,500 a year, an amount called minimal by officials.

Voters will have many opportunities to learn more about the bond issue in the coming weeks. School officials will need to make the plan as clear as possible to win support.