13-05-2025
Voters on Goddard's proposed $196 million school bond
GODDARD, Kan. (KSNW) — Goddard is the latest district in a wave asking voters for approval. The school district argues that the bond will improve the lives of its students and attract new ones, but the nearly $200 million price tag is of concern to some voters.
At $196 million, USD 265 guarantees the bond will not increase the mill levy tax rate more than 10.25 mills. This translates to roughly $9 a month per $100,000 of appraised home value. Nobody is denying the cost; where the contention lies is whether the cost of stimulating growth is worth the price.
'With more and more housing developments being built and more and more families moving in. The schools are bound to become overcrowded and overwhelmed,' Rachel Purdy, a Goddard voter in favor of the bond, said.
Wichita Public Schools lays off 16 employees, making up for budget shortfall
With new housing developments coming to the city and a population boom projection, Purdy thinks the tax is worth it. Others in Goddard disagree, arguing that extra money would unfairly impact Goddard's current citizens in favor of new ones.
The school district addressed that concern head-on.
'We hope our community answers the challenge,' Dane Baxa, a Goodard school district spokesperson, said. 'The challenge is here. We've got 1,000 new students in the next 5 years, 2,000 in the next decade — it's a 30% increase. We just don't have any capacity left at our elementary schools.'
They say it is their obligation to anyone living in Goddard.
'We know that the kids are coming. We don't have a whole lot to say about the developments, but we do have a whole lot to say about education and the students that enter our doors,' Ashley Miller, principal of Oak Street Elementary, said.
Voters approved the last school bond eight years ago in 2017. Supporters argue that another bond so soon is necessary to spur continued growth.
'One of the reasons that my family came here and that I came here and that I stayed here is because Goddard has stayed ahead of the growth,' Miller said.
Advanced ballots closed Monday, and in-person voting opens Tuesday at 7 a.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
