KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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Cass County, Missouri, school districts are asking voters to approve ballot questions on April 7, 2026.
Belton, Raymore-Peculiar, Archie, Kingsville, Harrisonville, and Lee's Summit school districts have similar, yet different needs to improve their schools.
KSHB 41's Cass County reporter Ryan Gamboa visited the Ray-Pec School District on Wednesday as leaders and parents prepare for the election. If approved, the improvements from the bond money will keep the district competitive for the next decade.
"A strong public school system creates strong property values, which is good for everybody," Superintendent Mike Slagle said. "One of the reasons we are asking for this bond support is because of the economic value we have for our community."
Raymore-Peculiar School District Bond Measure
The $45 million, no-tax increase bond was passed by the school board earlier this year.
Superintendent Slagle explained this is part of two years of planning.
"We paid off some bond proceeds from the past," Slagle said. "So we paid down our debt, and our community has continued to grow. So our assessed valuation five years ago, when we passed our last bond issue, is a lot different than now. It allows us to add more capacity into that projection."
The proposed bond, if approved, would focus on five key areas:
- Safety and Security Improvements
- Early Childhood Learning Spaces
- Expanded Student Learning and Activity Opportunities
- Upgrades to Student Activity Sites
- Maintaining Existing Facilities
"After being here for 18 years, I’ve seen a lot of changes in the community, a lot of growth," said Ray-Pec High School parent Adam Hawley. "I think a community thrives when it has a great, competitive school district."
Hawley is strongly in favor of the community approving this ballot measure.
For him, the safety and security of his daughter's school is his top priority.
But, he wants to see the district as a whole stay competitive with surrounding communities on both sides of the state line.
"To me, it would be a sense of pride," he said. "Pride that the community comes together, and understand that it takes all of us, and if we all chip in a little bit together, to get this thing done, we’d be relevant for years to come. If it doesn’t pass, that means we’re not committed to having the very best, which is what I want for the community."
A few of the priorities outlined in the proposal are upgrades to Panther Stadium at the high school. Those include improving field conditions and drainage for safer play, better lighting and sound systems, seating, and a field designed for community use.
Improvements would be made at baseball and softball facilities.
The district is also looking to enhance learning opportunities and provide students with teaching moments that go beyond the classroom. Programs like Junior Officers' Training Corps (JROTC), drone technology, and robotics, along with opportunities in athletic training, sports medicine, and electronic sports.
Early Childhood Learning is a primary focus at the Shull Center.
The 50-year-old building has a solid foundation for space, but has outdated learning environments for ages three to five.
Superintendent Slagle said he's not seeing enrollment for early childhood learning slow down in the district.
"This is an important thing for our community to get done," Hawley said.
No tax increase
Proposition RP 2026 is not structured to increase taxes on community members.
If approved, the district's debt service tax rate is projected to remain the same, based on current state school finance law.
According to the Ray-Pec School District, a no-tax increase is possible by building on past successful bond implementations and growth since its last bond was passed.
There is no guarantee that tax bills won't go up.
Individual tax bills are driven by county property tax assessments, not the tax rate. This bond is controlled and committed to no increase to the tax rate.
For Ron Custer, who has been in Raymore since 1983, a no-tax increase could sway his vote.
"That makes me think, yes," he said. "You just have to weigh everything out."
Custer is on a fixed income and believes that with Raymore and all of Cass County's growth, something needs to be done.
"You have to take care of the kids," he said. "I think anyone would say they don’t want to see a tax increase. You got a lot of new people coming to town here and everything else. They do want their kids to get a good education."
Harrisonville-Cass Bond Measure
The Harrisonville School District is asking voters to approve "Prop One" — a $38 million, zero tax rate increase bond on April 7.
Based on the outcome of the election, the school's tax rate should not increase.
“The Board’s solid financial management and forward-thinking approach has given us this opportunity," Superintendent Josh Chastain said in a statement to KSHB 41. "We can meet immediate needs, improve opportunities, and continue to ensure our schools are a source of Wildcat pride for our community without raising the tax rate.”
Harrisonville's bond measure prioritizes safety and security, student opportunity, and infrastructure.
Some of the projects involved re-keying district buildings, doors, and fire systems.
For student opportunities, Harrisonville is planning on upgrading its Performing Arts Center, building a new multi-use facility, tennis courts, and other athletic complex upgrades.
McEowen Elementary also needs new classroom additions, as well as other buildings in need of heating and cooling upgrades, roof repairs, flooring, and parking lots.
Belton School District Bond Measure
The Belton School District is asking voters to approve a $58 million, no-tax increase bond measure on April 7.
Priorities for the school district with monies, if passed, include:
- Flexible & Modern Elementary Learning Spaces
- Secondary Career Education Spaces
- Early Education Expansion
- Facility & Grounds Maintenance.
Some programming that could benefit from the bond passing includes a possible black box theater, farm school, and computer science tools.
The district would fully utilize the Yeokum Center of Innovation to expand the Academies of Belton programming, the district's career and education program. This would expand career education and add new programs like JROTC, drone piloting, and student activity groups.
"The Belton School District Board of Education has placed a $58 million, no tax rate increase bond on the April 7, 2026, ballot to provide 'innovation for every student in every school," the school district wrote in a statement to KSHB 41 Cass County reporter Ryan Gamboa "This proposal focuses on four strategic pillars: modernizing elementary learning spaces, expanding secondary career education, increasing early childhood capacity at Grace Early Childhood Center, and completing essential district-wide maintenance. Bond 2026 would bring significant, forward-thinking change for every building in the district."
The superintendent went on to add in the email that the bond is a direct result of a comprehensive assessment of its facilities and feedback from the community.
"We are trying to provide innovation and opportunities for all students, PreK-12. In addition, we have some mechanical needs that must be addressed to maintain our facilities," Dr. Andrew Underwood said. "By utilizing a no-tax-rate-increase bond measure, we are able to protect our community’s investment in our schools while ensuring our students have access to the modern tools and spaces they need to thrive."
If the bond does not pass, the Belton School District stated it would not be able to accomplish all of the repairs and maintenance as quickly and would instead prioritize its most urgent needs.
"If this issue does not pass, some elements of the plan would have to be reimagined or put on hold," the district added in the email.
Archie School District Bond Measure
Compared to its neighboring districts in Cass County, the Archie R-V School District is asking voters to approve a bond that is significantly lower.
While the $4 million approval ask of voters is a fraction of the others, the needs are still great in the small district. This is also a no-tax increase bond measure.
"We are making an effort to keep our students and staff safe," Superintendent Dr. Michelle Wityk told KSHB 41 in an email. "We will repair roof leaks, old windows with broken seals, and more. We are also doing an abatement and remediation."
"If the bond issue is voted down in April, the repairs to our buildings must wait until we are able to save enough funding in Fund 4, Capital Projects in the budget," Wityk explained. "The repairs can then be done as the district can afford to do so."
The district's oldest current building was built in 1940 and the entire campus was originally constructed in the 1890s.
According to the district website, the proposed bond aligns with the district's Long-Range Facilities Master Plan and prioritizes projects that cannot be fully funded through annual capital funds.
"We often have to rely on levies and bonds to complete larger capital projects," Wityk went on to add.
Kingsville R-I School District
In rural Kingsville, Missouri, the Board of Education is asking voters to authorize an increase in the operating tax levy. This is not a bond measure.
The current operating tax levy for the district is $3.9461, and if approved, it would increase $0.50 to $4.4461, per one hundred dollars of a property's assessed valuation.
According to the ballot language, the purpose of this increase is to attract and retain quality certified staff and support staff, while meeting general operating expenses of the district.
District Superintendent Jay Fleeman told KSHB 41 in an email that the need for a levy increase is directly related to the rise in operating costs and changes in revenue sources.
"Local property taxes are our #1 source of revenue, close to 50%. We as a district, have not raised our tax levy since the fall of 2010. If you were to do a comparison from then to now on the rise in operating costs vs. changes in state revenue for public schools, you will see the need for a levy increase," Fleeman wrote.
Kingsville School District has a high staff retention rate.
"We want to be able to provide our staff with a comparable and competitive wage to other districts. Just because we are a small school does not mean our teachers and staff do less. We just have less staff, so we need to keep the ones we have," he said. "For those that have ever been in a small school, or worked in one they will agree that small, rural school districts are special places. They are truly the backbone of so many communities in our state. Is it more difficult to operate a small rural district? That depends solely on the resources we are provided. I would put our staff and what we try to do for kids and our community up against just about anybody. I just hope that we have the means to continue to do so for a long time."
Fleeman went on to explain that if the measure fails and there are no changes made at the state level to funding sources for public education at all levels, he doesn't see how any small rural public school district can foresee a long future.
Lee's Summit Reorganized School District No. 7
Prop C is on the ballot for students living in Cass County who go to school in the Lee's Summit School District.
Prop C is Missouri's one-cent sales tax for K-12 education, which was approved in 1982.
Districts must reduce their local property tax levy unless voters approve a waiver to eliminate the rollback.
LSR7 is asking voters to approve a full waiver of the Prop C tax rollback for school purposes, including funding for staff salaries.
This allows the district to keep 100% of Prop C revenue locally.
If approved, it would create an additional operating revenue of upwards of $4.5 million per year.
Increases to teacher and staff salaries and benefits would begin in the 2026-2027 school year.
For taxpayers, the district's operating tax rate would effectively rise to keep dollars local — that's what a "yes" vote gets.
According to the district website, using the 2025 home values, it would impact resident wallets to a maximum of $10 per month.
- 100K Home: $23.90 per year ($2 per month)
- 200K Home: $47.80 per year ($4 per month)
- 300K Home: $71.70 per year ($6 per month)
- 400K Home: $95.60 per year ($8 per month)
- 500K Home: $119.50 per year ($10 per month)
Seniors on the SB 190 property tax relief program would not be impacted.
What's Next?
The deadline to register to vote is March 11 and Election Day is April 7, 2026.
There are a number of other campaigns from other county communities, including school board seats, city council seats, and city tax proposals.
To view the full sample ballot for Cass County, click here.
For more voter information in Cass County, click here.
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