On April 6, 2021 voters will decide on whether to approve or not approve two questions affecting the school district. Question one is a $20 million no tax increase bond issue and question two will be a $0.32 no tax increase levy transfer. These two issues will help with improvements to schools in the Fort Osage district. Superintendent Dr. Jason Snodgrass received feedback from the community about the various proposed improvements to the school district.

“There are so many things in our district that we would love to improve in the next several years but these projects we felt were all important,” Dr. Snodgrass said. “These projects really resonated with our community engagement committee, so we felt it was important to put these issues all on the ballot for folks to decide.”

The $20 million no tax increase bond issue will help construct a new transportation, maintenance and district office buildings.  It will also help provide better parking and driving improvements to the main campus, Blue hills and Fire Prairie. Junior Annbella Gilmore feels that the improvements to the parking will help to fix congestion and crowding.

“The parking lots have always been very full and I feel the improvements will help make it a little easier for the transportation to go smoother,” Gilmore said. 

The $0.32 no tax increase levy transfer will help to be able to construct a new varsity gym and improve and expand the band room. It will let the school transfer money from its debt service fund into its operating fund. Junior Breyana Cox thinks the expansion to the band room will benefit the band. 

“With the growing numbers of band members every year it will be good for the band room to be bigger so everyone will be able to fit and it will become more accessible for bigger instruments,” Cox said. 

The bond issue will also help the district make improvements to the lunch rooms in all five elementary schools, the upper elementary school, middle school and the high school. Dr. Snodgrass believes the additional space will help spread students out.

“We’ve had some conversations about being able to get additional people off the concentration of this campus,” Dr. Snodgrass said. “By simply moving the transportation, maintenance and central office, that will alleviate some extra stress and pressure from the campus.”

If these get passed the design phase will start immediately after the passage of question one. Grading of the property will begin in September and construction will begin in December.