A bond issue is a traditional way for schools to borrow money to pay for the development of new facilities, major school maintenance, and repair projects, such as constructing new buildings, replacing old roofs, or making upgrades to worn-out/out-of-date parking lots and facilities.

A no-tax-increase bond issue means that the approval of this bond will not change the current tax rate. 

When voters approve a bond issue, LCR3 obtains bids and sells bonds to the purchaser who offers the lowest interest rate. The district uses the funds to complete the capital projects and pays back the debt over time. (This bond issue will only extend the District’s current debt by a maximum of 3 years.)

This process is similar to a home loan. When you purchase a home, you borrow money at a specific interest rate. You make payments on that loan, which include principal and interest, over a period of years. A certain amount of your regular income is budgeted to make those payments.

Bond issues allow schools to pay for new developments, costly repairs, and renovation over time instead of having to pay all at once. They also allow schools to devote most of their day-to-day operating budgets to classroom instruction instead of major repair work.

This particular issue will allow the District to avoid considerable increases in class size across the District. 

The Lincoln County R-III School District's enrollment increased by more than 400 students from the 2020-2021 school year to the 2021-2022 school year. This is the largest percentage growth in the state of Missouri. Continued growth is expected and is estimated at over 500 new students over the next five years. Roughly half of this growth is expected in the southern portion of our District boundary and in grades K-5. 

Currently, our southern-most school, William Cappel Elementary, is at capacity, causing the need for two trailers, housing four classrooms, to be placed on campus. A new Pre-K-5 building next to the Troy South Middle School will relieve the enrollment of WCE as well as other area elementary schools. 

Furthermore, the addition of 6 classrooms, two on each grade-level wing, at Troy South Middle will provide space for expected growth in this area.  

In recent years, the District has been able to keep up with student enrollment growth with limited bonding capacity and has provided progress as promised through our most recent ballot issues in 2019 and 2021.

At this time, Lincoln County is seeing a continued increase in population which will result in steady enrollment growth across the District, specifically in the southern portion of our boundary area. An expected 500+ new students are expected across the District over the next five years. With this increase in enrollment, the District is now facing a need to ask voters for the additional facility spaces that will be required to facilitate learning for the increased number of enrolled students.

If approved, the funds from Proposition KIDS will be used to build an eighth elementary school near Troy South Middle School. The land for this building was purchased in 2014 at a discounted rate. Funds would also be used to add six classrooms, two per grade level, at Troy South Middle School, and to update the New Horizons High School building to allow for program growth. (Priority 1) 

Additionally, as funds allow, they would be allocated for projects as shown on the following pages. The major categories identified include building maintenance and road repairs (Priority 2) as well as facility and grounds updates (Priority 3). The above is not a complete listing of projects. Please visit the "Summary of Proposed Projects" page for an up-to-date list.

Each year, LCR3 pays off old debt from previous bonds. As our loan balance decreases, we are able to borrow more money and pay it back using revenue from the existing tax rate. While the approval of new bonds does extend the life of the District's debt, it does not increase the tax rate. 

The proposed issuance would extend the current debt by no more than three (3) years. 

No. Whether the proposition passes or fails, the tax rate will remain unchanged. 

Regardless of the passage of this no-tax-increase bond issue, the District will still see an increase in enrollment. Should the issue fail, our buildings would be more congested, and class sizes would increase. We would need to explore the option of more mobile classroom units. 

Additionally, planned maintenance and repair work would have to be deferred and most school renovation projects would be postponed indefinitely. The most critical maintenance and repair needs would still have to be addressed. To pay for this, more money would have to be spent from the day-to-day operating budget (the part that normally pays for classroom instruction, teachers, staff and supplies).

Yes, the addition of a new elementary school will require the boundaries to be studied and redrawn. A committee inclusive of all stakeholder groups will be formed, and the process would begin shortly after the election. As always, the District would strive to create the least amount of impact for all.

Yes. Currently, the District has $56.6 million in total debt scheduled to be paid over a 12-year period. This no-tax-increase bond issue would add no more than three years to that payment plan, assuming no prepayments or refinancing occurs. 

Proposition KIDS 2014 – This $20.5 million no-tax-increase bond issue asked the voters to approve bonded funds to build Troy South Middle School. This issue passed with a 70.28% approval rating. All projects from that bond issue were completed as scheduled.

Proposition KIDS 2019 - This $24.5 million no-tax-increase bond issue was not related to a new building, but to preserving and maintaining the facilities that we already have. This issue passed with a 73.31% approval rating. These projects were completed as scheduled and a full list can be found on the District's website. 

In 2021, the District did ask voters for approval on a ballot issue, Proposition S. This was not a bond issue. Voters were asked for approval to transfer a set amount of the tax levy from our debt services levy to the operating levy. This allowed the District to continue to attract and maintain high-quality staff, explore and adopt new curriculum, and continue to grow without the need for an increase to the tax rate. This issue passed with a 56% approval rating.

The LCR3 School District currently has a total bonding capacity of $67 million. The bonding capacity that is not used ($30 million) and any additional that is gained by payments over the next 3-5 years will allow the District to address the expansion of the Ninth Grade Center. 

Yes! With the passage of this no-tax-increase bond issue, students, District-wide, will benefit from not seeing their class sizes rise. Additional Pre-K opportunities will be available and facilities will see continued maintenance and repair.