Downtown Council unanimously endorses $474 Kansas City Public School District’s General Obligation (GO) Bonds

By Bill Dietrich, President & CEO at Downtown Council of Kansas City

The Downtown Council Board of Directors, at the January board meeting, voted unanimously to endorse the $474M GO Bond campaign to renovate buildings and make facility improvements for the Kansas City Public School District. If passed, KCPS would receive $424M and 9 charter schools would receive $50M. Voting will take place on April 8, 2025. If passed, the bond would cost taxpayers 64 cents/day for homes valued at $200,000 and raise $474M to support the schools.

A successful school district is critically important to the future of our city.

Supporting the GO Bond campaign aligns with the Downtown Council’s mission to create a vibrant, economically healthy and inclusive Downtown Kansas City. A strong KCPS and charter school network, including the award-winning PK-12 Crossroads Charter Schools located downtown, creates opportunities for children to thrive, the workforce of the future to develop, and help attract new companies to Kansas City.

At the meeting, Pat Contreras with McCownGordon, introduced Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier, Monica Curls, and Rita Cortez, [Board Chair] with the Kansas City Public School District. Dr. Collier shared metrics that demonstrated significant progress and improvements in the past few years. For instance, the school district regained school accreditation in 2022; the district’s APR scores rose from 66.6 in 2022-2023 to 73.2 for the 2023-2024 school year. Growth in literacy has been accomplished, and enrollment, which had previously been declining, has been increasing for the last three years. Last year, the high school graduation rate increased to 88%, and 80% of KCPS Pre-K students were considered to be kindergarten-ready. All K-12 students now have access to technology.

The bond will address deferred maintenance, improve learning environments, and transition the Middle School to grades 6 through 8. Upgraded facilities would inspire an improved learning environment with STEAM labs for elementary students. They have $1.5M in unfunded needs, and there are plans to take care of these basic needs if the bond is passed. Instrumental music spaces, gyms, and athletic facilities are a priority. District-wide improvements will be made with upgrades and major renovations. Targeted investment will result in savings.

For more information: https://www.kcpublicschools.org/bond