April 2026 Bond Issue: What Voters Need to Know
The Independence School District Board of Education has approved placing a $60 million no-tax-increase bond issue on the April 7, 2026 ballot. This proposal is designed to address long-term facility needs across the district, as part of our continuing efforts to provide every student access to learn in a safe, modern, and well-maintained school environment.
Why This Bond Issue Is Being Proposed
As part of the ISD’s 2025-2030 Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP), the district’s Facilities Committee conducted building walkthroughs, maintenance assessments, and community input sessions during the 2024-25 school year. These reviews identified needed repairs, repairs, updates, and safety enhancements.
Through this process, the team prioritized three elementary schools due to their age, layout, and maintenance needs:
In addition to major overhauls at these buildings, the bond will fund additional improvements around the district.
No Tax Rate Increase
This proposal does not increase the district’s current tax rate. The bond issue allows ISD to complete necessary facility upgrades by leveraging existing debt capacity responsibly. ISD is able to do this because it has aggressively paid down existing debt and refinanced bonds whenever possible, which now allows us to issue bonds without increasing the tax levy.
School districts commonly use bond measures for these types of projects because:
- They allow schools to complete large projects responsibly
- They spread out the cost over many years
- Bonds cannot be used for anything other than buildings and infrastructure
How School Bond Measures Work
A school bond is similar to a home loan or mortgage. When a district needs to repair buildings, add classrooms, replace old systems, or renovate aging schools, the cost is often too high to fit into its regular yearly budget. So the district asks voters for permission to issue bonds, which means:
- Borrowing money now to pay for construction and repairs
- Paying it back slowly over time, much like a home mortgage
These bonds can only be used for building-and-facility-related projects - not salaries, programs, or day-to-day operations.
Ballot language as written in the Resolution approved by the ISD Board of Education at its Regular Board Meeting, Tuesday, December 9th, 2025
Timeline: What's Next
January–March 2026: Project Details & Community Information
- The district will finalize project scopes based on assessments by our Facilities Department.
- Families will receive information as it is made available and/or ready to be shared, including FAQs, project lists, timelines, and other updates.
- Community members will receive information and resources explaining the proposal.
- Voter registration information and absentee/early voting reminders will be shared.
April 7, 2026: Election Day
Residents of the Independence School District boundaries will vote on the $60 million no-tax-increase bond issue.
Important Links
Voter Registration - click here for voter registration information
Absentee Voting- click here for absentee voting information
Voter Registration - click here for voter registration information
Absentee Voting - click here for absentee voting information
What The Bond Would Fund
All projects are designed to extend the lifespan of existing buildings, reduce long-term maintenance costs, and improve the learning environment for students. The Board of Education has already approved the process of letting bids (the process to find, price out, and hire contractors) for some of this work. This is a working list and will continue to grow or shift as needs change.
If approved by voters, the $60 million no-tax-increase bond issue would support:
In the News
Check back here for links to any media coverage about the April 7, 2026 Election.