KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers Kansas City, Missouri. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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The Hickman Mills C-1 School District passed two ballot initiatives Tuesday that will help the district pay off debt and make deferred maintenance repairs to some of its facilities.
Superintendent Dr. Dennis Carpenter met KSHB 41 Kansas City reporter Alyssa Jackson on Wednesday at Warford Elementary, one of the district's aging elementary schools.
"I remember Warford from when I was here back in 2013," Carpenter said. “Like things that age — it needs some level of repair.”
The superintendent knew voters would give Hickman's ballot measures a chance, so he made some playful predictions with his staff.
"I said to the team earlier or late last week we would pass both measures north of 70%. Maybe the old man was right," Carpenter said.
The $20 million bond measure had to pass with a supermajority, and 80% of voters said yes. The debt levy transfer passed with nearly 75% of the vote.
Tuesday's results signaled the district now has taxpayer support to fix up finances and buildings on a smaller scale, including Warford Elementary School.
Warford has decades of deferred maintenance, including flooring, roofing and ceilings.
John Sharp, a campaign volunteer at the polls, said he thinks this is a win, though he acknowledged Hickman Mills has been in repair mode with its $14 million budget shortfall and ongoing state audit.
"Our schools may not be as old as me, but they're sure older than you," Sharp said. "We really need to renovate them and fix them up."
Since last fall, Carpenter's return to the district has focused on getting operations and finances back on track.
"The ability to focus on other priority areas was superseded by the budget crisis," Carpenter said. "Now that we're starting to stabilize, we’re back on the road to full accreditation [and] what we can be as a district that is financially stable and sustainable for the long term for this community."
A couple thousand voters supported the ballot measures. For any taxpayers for or against them, KSHB 41's Alyssa Jackson asked the superintendent: How will the district make sure it's fiscally responsible moving forward?
"We're going to do multiple things," Carpenter said. "As it relates to the dollars specifically related to this measure, every dollar we spend, we're going to be super transparent."
The district's website includes information about the budget and upcoming public engagement meetings.
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