Marion R-II Puts $1.45M Bond Issue on Ballot Without Tax Hike
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PHILADELPHIA, Mo. — Marion County R-II School District is asking voters to approve a $1.45 million general obligation bond issue in the April 8 election — a proposal that would fund critical facility improvements with no increase to the district’s current tax rate.
“This bond will not raise taxes,” said Superintendent Savannah O’Bryan. “It will extend the life of our existing bond,” originally passed in 2018.
Located in Philadelphia, Missouri, the district serves 203 students on a single campus. The bond, listed on the ballot as Proposition K.I.D.S. — Keep Improving District Schools — is intended to finance a new roof, expanded athletic facilities, and other capital improvements.
The district’s top priority is the replacement of the main building’s roof, which is approximately 25 years old and has developed significant leaks over time. While minor repairs have been made using the operating budget, O’Bryan said the cost of full replacement exceeds what the district can afford without outside funding.
If funds remain, the district plans to build a new weight room and locker rooms for home and visiting athletic teams. Currently, the activity gym doubles as a storage area for fitness equipment, making it unavailable for indoor PE classes and community events. Visiting teams are often assigned elementary classrooms as makeshift changing spaces.
The bond would not raise the current debt service levy of $0.5786 per $100 of assessed valuation, which has remained unchanged since at least 2020. The district’s total tax rate is $4.2397, with $3.6661 allocated to the operating fund.
Board of Education President Jared Stewart, in a recent informational video, noted that the proposal received unanimous support from the board and follows months of planning with input from administrators and community members.
The full ballot question reads:
Shall the Board of Education of the Marion County R-II School District, Missouri, without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of One Million Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($1,450,000) for the purpose of providing funds to repair roofs; to construct, equip, and furnish new locker rooms and a weight room; to the extent funds are available, complete other repairs and improvements to the existing facilities of the District; and issue general obligation bonds for the payment thereof? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the School District is estimated to remain unchanged at $0.5786 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.
facility improvements.
To see a video about the bond issue, please scan the QR code.
For more information, community members can contact Superintendent Savannah O’Bryan at 573-439-5913.
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