KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Voters in the Olathe and De Soto school districts approved hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds to improve school facilities and other services, according to mail ballot results released Tuesday.
In Olathe, 23% of voters took part in the election.
There were 15,344 "yes" votes and 8,960 "no" votes for the $389 million bond measure.
"We are incredibly thankful to our Olathe Public Schools community who has once again supported our district through the endorsement of a bond election,” Olathe Superintendent Dr. Brent Yeager said in a statement. “This bond provides us the opportunity to reinvest in our facilities, build upon excellence and enhance our schools, which are the heartbeat of our community. For decades, our community has stood behind our schools by supporting past bond initiatives, and we thank you for continuing your investment in high quality schools. We know that strong public schools build strong communities and we look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead with the support of these bond funds.”
Just under 24% of USD 232 voters mailed in a ballot.
De Soto's bond issue passed with 4,074 "yes" votes; 2,454 district patrons voted "no."
"Bond 2026 is a meaningful investment in our priorities to enhance safety, expand opportunities, and improve facilities across the district," De Soto Superintendent Dr. Cory Gibson said in a letter on the district's website. "The bond will add playground fencing and key-card-secured exterior doors; expand Career and Technical Education for potential areas such as aviation, agriculture, healthcare, and culinary arts; and increase capacity in Early Childhood and Special Education classrooms. It also supports renovated arts spaces for orchestra and middle school additions that address current needs, plan for future growth, and provide storm shelter areas."
The city of Edgerton, Kansas, got approval from voters to levy a 1% special-purpose city sales tax.
The city will use revenue from the tax to pay for stormwater infrastructure improvements and improvements to the city's streets.
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