Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, Olathe, Gardner-Edgerton, DeSoto and Lawrence have passed LOB issues. Here are comments from SMSD.

Shawnee Mission School District Voters Pass LOB and Bond Election Proposals

In the district’s first mail-in ballot election, Shawnee Mission voters have endorsed both the local option budget and bond proposal questions. Unofficial results indicate voters overwhelmingly approved maintaining the local option budget at the current level by approximately 83 percent in favor and 17 percent in opposition. Voters also approved a $223 million bond for districtwide capital improvements with approximately 80.5 percent voting in favor of the bond and 19.5 percent voting against. The election office will finalize the tally adding in approximately 3,000 countywide provisional ballots that have yet to be tabulated.

The $223 million bond will provide safety and security improvements, reinvest in district facilities, update and enhance technology infrastructure, and support instruction, activities, and wellness efforts districtwide. As a result of the bond, five elementary schools, one in each of the high school geographic areas of the school district, will be rebuilt.

“I am thankful to the Shawnee Mission community for their support of these important initiatives,” said Jim Hinson, superintendent. “The opportunity to plan facilities and instructional spaces to support the district’s comprehensive educational programs is essential. Through their support, voters have signaled the value they place on education and validated the importance of keeping their schools strong.”
Last spring, patrons in the district responding to a survey indicated a strong desire to support improvements, both educationally and with regard to facilities and infrastructure, that would benefit students. According to the Johnson County Election Office, 139,485 ballots were issued to registered voters in the school district. On the LOB question, 35,197 votes were received in favor of the measure and 7,213 votes were cast in opposition. The bond initiative received 34,218 votes in favor of the bond with 8,253 votes in opposition.
“Strong support for education has long been a hallmark of the Shawnee Mission community. Voters have once again demonstrated their support and understanding of the value of a high-quality education,” said Deb Zila, Shawnee Mission Board of Education president.

The last bond initiative passed by voters in Shawnee Mission was in 2004 when patrons overwhelmingly approved a $184 million bond.