By Emily Younker and Wally Kennedy

news@joplinglobe.com

Webb City and Carl Junction voters on Tuesday approved bond issues that will use some federal stimulus funds for capital projects in their school districts.

Voters in Pierce City, meanwhile, defeated a bond issue that would have financed the construction of two new buildings in the school district.

Carl Junction

In Carl Junction, voters approved a $1 million bond issue that will renovate, replace or upgrade features at most of the district’s schools.

The proposal was approved by just more than 70 percent of those casting ballots, with 741 votes in favor and 312 opposed, according to complete but unofficial results compiled by county election officials.

Despite low voter turnout — 8.61 percent in Jasper County — Superintendent Phil Cook said he is thrilled with the results.

“Once again this community gave us that reinforcement that they’re behind us and support us, so we’re really happy,” he said.

Cook said the district plans to take advantage of interest-free bonds available for a portion of the total $1 million. Those bonds will come from the Qualified School Construction Bond program, under which $140 million is available for Missouri school districts this year.

The bond issue, which does not raise the current debt-service levy of 82 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, will finance:

Replacement of heating and air-conditioning units in the kindergarten and first-grade building.

Lighting and restroom upgrades in the second- and third-grade building.

Roof replacement and air conditioning in the intermediate building.

Improved access to vocational-agriculture features at the high school.

Paving of the school bus area and the addition of a covered bus bay.

Webb City

Webb City voters approved by about a 76 percent margin a $2 million bond issue that will expand the early childhood program by adding four classrooms each at Madge T. James Kindergarten Center, Bess Truman Primary Center and Carterville Elementary School.

Complete but unofficial results show that voters cast 717 votes in favor of the proposal and 227 votes in opposition.

Superintendent Ron Lankford said he thinks the vote shows that residents want progress.

“I really believe that right now, while there’s still a lot of concern about the economy, it’s not the shock it was a year ago,” Lankford said. “It’s a positive sign that people are looking forward.”

The bond issue is not projected to increase the debt-service levy, which now is 68 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Cathy Hall, early childhood coordinator, said she hopes to expand the program to include more preschool-aged children, including 3-year-olds, who aren’t currently served by the district.

The early childhood program is currently housed primarily at Franklin Early Childhood Center. It includes the Parents as Teachers program, a day care, early childhood special education services and Title I preschool classes.

Hall has said that even with classrooms added this year at Carterville for preschool and special-education classes, the program is getting too large for its current quarters.

Lankford said district officials will view bids on the project Thursday afternoon.

Pierce City

Voters in the Pierce City R-6 School District defeated a $3.9 million bond issue that would have constructed a new middle school and vocational-agriculture center.

With all precincts reporting in Newton, Lawrence and Barry counties, voters cast 498 “yes” votes and 483 “no” votes. A four-sevenths majority was required for the measure to pass.

If the bond issue had been approved, the debt-service levy would have increased by 33 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Property taxes on a $100,000 house would have increased by about $62 a year.

The vo-ag center would have had offices, two classrooms, a shop, a greenhouse and a work yard for livestock. The two-story middle school would have had 14 classrooms. It would have been built near the high school so that middle-school students could have shared the high school’s cafeteria, library and gym.

The district earlier this year proposed a $3.9 million bond issue and a $2.1 million lease-purchase agreement for construction of a new high school and vo-ag center. It, too, was defeated at the polls.





Majority requirement



The school bond issue proposals normally would have required a two-thirds majority for passage in special votes in an off-year November election, but Missouri lawmakers changed the requirement to four-sevenths to make it easier for school districts to qualify for federal stimulus bonds.