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Blue Valley district voters approve nearly $187-million bond issue

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Posted at 5:09 PM, Jan 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-28 18:09:14-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Voters in the Blue Valley School District overwhelmingly approved a multi-million school bond issue.

With nearly 74% of the vote, voters agreed to a no-tax increase bond worth more than $186.8 million via mail-in ballot.

“Today, I am thankful for a community that has given us an opportunity to impact the next generation of Blue Valley students,” Blue Valley Schools Superintendent Todd White said in a statement. “We thank our community for entrusting us with this great responsibility and we look forward to the work ahead.”

The money, which won’t require a mill-levy increase, will provide money for facilities upgrades, technology enhancements, improved school safety and to “reimagine learning environments and programs,” according to a district press release.

“It’s going to touch every school in the district,” Kaci Brutto, director of communications for Blue Valley Schools, said.

Among the bigger projects, the bond issue will fund is the installation of interior thumb-turn door locks in every classroom, which will allow teachers to lock rooms from the inside, and the construction of a new elementary school in a rapidly growing area of south Overland Park.

More than 30% of mail-in ballots sent out by the Johnson County Election Office were returned with 19,369 votes in favor of the bond issue.

“The passage of the bond election affirms our community’s commitment to investing in high-quality schools and education,” Blue Valley Board of Education President Tom Mitchell said in a statement. “We know that high-quality schools not only drive economic development in a community but also greatly impact the quality of life in a community.”