Everton district seeks April bond issue after expanding campus size

Will Darter: April bond issue one of largest sought in Everton.

A tiny district in rural Dade County that more than tripled the size of its school campus will ask voters to approve one of its largest bond issues in April.

Everton R-III Schools, located 30 miles northwest of Springfield, recently added eight acres to its existing 2.95-acre campus through a land swap.

Superintendent Will Darter said the larger campus will allow options that had been out of reach.

“We’ve been landlocked here in Everton for decades,” Darter said. “We couldn’t do much beyond what we have done with our footprint.”

The first goal is to revamp the agricultural education program. To that end, the Board of Education placed a $950,000 bond issue on the April 7 ballot.

“It’s one of the biggest no tax increase bonds that we’ve ever put before voters, and we’re excited,” he said.

The proposal is a no tax increase ballot measure. Passage will allow the district to take on more debt but not alter the property tax levy.

If approved, the funds will overhaul space for the ag program, add parking and finish remodeling classrooms.

The district is working with Dake Wells Architecture Inc. to decide if the existing ag building should be rebuilt or renovated and expanded.

Apart from the bond issue, the district is developing a 10-year plan for how to use the extra space. It is seeking patron input in surveys and meetings.

Board president Katelyn Schloesser, a 2009 graduate and the parent of two Everton students, said the district wants to have a long-range plan ready before the election.

“We want to have a plan to show them what they are voting for,” she said.

Early input shows high interest in an expanded ag program, improved parking and athletic facilities, and the creation of a school farm.

“It’s palpable in the community; everybody is thrilled about it,” she said.

Schloesser said the 166-student school district is the heart of the town founded in the 1880s. Population has hovered near 300 in recent years.

“It is a boost in morale that Everton needs right now. We’re here for our kids. A lot of times, small school districts live in survival mode,” she said. “We’re past that. We’re ready to thrive, and we want to show other districts what we really can do. Big things really do come from small schools.”

Darter said the eight acres west and north of the existing campus changed owners last year and the new neighbor, Bill Turner, approached school officials to see if it might of use to the district.

The district was in the middle of developing a strategic plan that includes programs that help students succeed in college or the workforce.

“Our goal is to get every one of our seniors a diploma, industry-recognized credential and an apprenticeship before they graduate. It’s ambitious, but we’re going for it,” Darter said. “We needed the land to do that. We are growing and expanding our ag program back to its glory.”

Darter said the adjacent property was valued at $6,500 an acre. The district owned a parcel of similar size in another part of town, near its baseball field.

“We weren’t using [it], so we ended up doing a land swap for equal value,” he said.

Thanks to the land swap with Turner, Darter said the district can expand options for students.

“It was a little bit of luck on the timing, a lot of hard work as a community and the generous heart of someone who wanted to give our little school a big jump to helping students into the future,” he said.