Glenwood Community School District Won't Pursue Bond Issue On November Ballot

The Glenwood Community School District Board of Education has decided it will not put a multi-million dollar general obligation bond before voters this fall.

In a special meeting last Monday, the board voted to put on hold its plan to present a similar bond issue on the November general election ballot to the one that failed to gain voter approval in 2023.

“We believe, based on the timing and the community feedback, it just isn’t the right time,” said Glenwood Interim Superintendent Nicole Kooiker. “We’re going to re-group. Taxes will go down some, which is always a good thing for everyone. And we’ll reassess our needs and make an alternative plan, just not for this November.”

Of the nearly 2,000 ballots cast last November, 59 percent (1,134) said “No” to the nearly $40 million measure that would have been the district’s largest ever general obligation bond to date. The bond required a 60 percent majority to pass.

That measure was slated to pay for an extensive renovation of Northeast Elementary, including a new daycare wing, which is currently housed on the Glenwood Resource Center campus, a multipurpose gymnasium, administrative offices, security enhancements and infrastructure updates in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Funds would also have been used to update and establish new creative labs at the middle school.

Kooiker said a future date of when the district might put the bond issue before voters has not been discussed. Nor has its scope.

When asked if Spring 2025 was possible for another vote, she didn’t rule it out but did say, “I’m not sure we’d do it that quickly.”

“We’re going to go to all the different buildings and do an analysis of what their top needs are,” Kooiker went on to say. “Of course, some buildings have more needs than others. We’re going to take our time to assess and then, like they did last time, communicate every step of the way what those needs are, what those priorities are that have to be filled.”

In April, the board did address some of those infrastructure needs with the approval of a $4.25 million revenue bond. A revenue bond does not require public approval. That bond is being used to pay for construction of a new building on a plot of land the district owns north of the high school. The total cost of the facility is estimated at $6 million with the remaining funds coming from the district’s general fund.

The new 38,000 square foot, prefabricated building will address the programming and office space the district will need as its transitions off the Glenwood Resource Center campus over the next year. The 103 Central building on the GRC campus currently houses the district’s administrative office, THRIVE alternative high program and the Kids Place daycare. The district does have a lease to remain as a tenant in that building through 2025.

The new, two-story building will house the district’s administration offices and THRIVE as well as the district’s food service and technology departments and the planned career academy and innovation center. A private fundraising effort is underway to also house the Kids Place facilities in the building.

Mecco-Henne has been tabbed to handle that construction with groundbreaking expected to take place this fall.