West Ada will try another bond issue

(UPDATED, 11:17 a.m., with cost breakdowns from West Ada district.)

The West Ada School District will go back to voters on March 10, seeking a bond issue to relieve classroom overcrowding.

Trustees approved the proposal Tuesday night. If the plan gets two-thirds supermajority support, the state’s largest school district will get the green light for $96 million in construction projects. Including interest, the bond issue would come to $128.3 million.

Here’s the project breakdown, from West Ada district spokesman Eric Exline:

  • Two middle schools, costing a total of $60 million.
  • The completion of the Meridian High School renovation would cost $24 million.
  • A new elementary school would cost $10 million.
  • The district would use $2 million to acquire a site for a new high school in northwest Meridian.

Elements of the bond issue are familiar. In August, a proposal to pay for $104 million in projects received 63 percent support, but fell shy of the two-thirds threshold. The centerpiece of the proposal was a pair of new middle schools — where the district says its crowding issues are most acute.

For coverage of Tuesday’s school board meeting, here’s a story from Zach Chastaine of Meridian Press.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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