Nixa school district eyes increased bonding capacity

The Nixa R-2 School District is busting at the seams with students. Growing, on average, 150 students a year since 2000, the Christian County district currently stands at about 6,000 – with some students meeting in mobile classrooms.

While Superintendent Stephen Kleinsmith welcomes the additional young minds, he said the problem is finding the space to create a proper learning environment for the growing masses.

“Right now, we have eight mobile classroom units acting as a bridge until we can get the funding in place,” he said of the district, which has had up to 28 mobile classroom units in recent years.

“The Nixa community has a number of lofty aspirations for the youth of this community, and right now the only thing holding us back from what we know is best for our students is funding.”

With more students expected next year, Nixa is helping spearhead a statewide effort to increase maximum district bonding capacity to as high as 25 percent from 15 percent, a move that requires an amendment to Article 6 of the Missouri Constitution.

Nixa school board member Peggy Taylor was in Jefferson City March 27 for the public hearing of House Joint Resolution 22, sponsored by Rep. Myron Neth, R-Liberty. She spoke out in support of the legislation.

“The Missouri School Board Association conducted two surveys of the 400-plus school districts in Missouri and results showed about $9 billion in shovel-ready projects across the state just waiting for funding,” said Taylor, who is also task force chairwoman for the statewide committee supporting the bill through MSBA. “This bill is a job creator.

“It would be good for our economy and our students.”

According to the bill’s language, if passed by the General Assembly, school district bonding capacity wouldn’t automatically raise to 25 percent, instead requiring a project-by-project double vote from the local electorate.

Taylor said each proposed project would require voters to approve raising the bonding capacity and in a separate question, approve the bond issue project itself.

“This bill is all about local control,” Taylor said. “Each community knows what is best for its students, and each community would have the power to decide. This bill isn’t big government allowing more debt. It would be a local decision.”

In Nixa, that local decision could mean an additional $18.8 million in bonding capacity, roughly the cost of a new elementary school, Kleinsmith said.

“We are nearly at capacity at Century Elementary already and are moving the fourth grade to Summit Intermediate this year to alleviate the pressure,” he said, adding even if HJR 22 is approved, a new school takes time to build and his buildings already are full.

While the bill would be too late to help the district’s current two-phase project to renovate the Nixa Junior High during a four-year period, Kleinsmith said the added bonding capacity would have allowed the district to complete renovations in one phase.

“When you split a building project, it ends up taking longer and costing the taxpayers more,” Kleinsmith said. “You build walls and ramps that you don’t really need, but must be used right now and torn down in the future.”

Klenismith said an $8 million no-tax-increase bond issue is needed to complete the junior high project and would most likely be on the February 2014 ballot. If passed, HJR 22 wouldn’t be on the ballot until November 2014.

Legislative maneuvers
Among those in opposition during the March 27 public hearing, was the Missouri Farm Bureau, which opposes increasing debt of any kind.

“Our members recognize the difficult position some districts are in, but don’t believe added debt is the solution,” said Leslie Holloway, MFB director of state and local government affairs. “Overextension doesn’t help anybody in the long run.”

Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, said he plans to support the bill if it makes it to the Senate, but he believes the legislation will become a hostage bill to other education reform.

“It’s a simple, straightforward bill, but there are lots of contentious education bills this session and HJR 22 will be hostage to that contention,” he said.

Nixa’s Taylor said the district helped pass 1998 state legislation increasing bonding capacity to 15 percent from 10 percent. Officials plan to help see HJR 22 through as well, she said.

“This is a Nixa priority and an MSBA priority,” said Taylor, who by day runs Dogwood Printing in Ozark. “Sponsoring districts like Liberty have 48 mobile classroom units because they can’t build fast enough. This bill has to pass.”

Kleinsmith said he believes the bill has about a 25 percent chance of passing as is, calling it a political football kicked around by House Bill 631, which makes changes to teacher tenure and seeks to tie teacher salaries to student performance.  

“It makes you wonder, if everyone says education is so important, how come Missouri just went to South Korea and signed almost $2 billion in trade agreements, but can’t find enough compromise to approve $9 billion in shovel-ready projects here at home,” Taylor said.[[In-content Ad]]