The election will be held on November 7, 2023. Polls will be open from 7:00AM - 8:00 PM. To find your precint/polling location, visit the Iowa Secretary of State's website at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx.

The Bondurant-Farrar Board of Education is calling for a special election to be held on November 7, 2023 for a bond referendum not to exceed $48 million. Voter approval would allow the district to construct a new elementary school, high school addition, and new activities spaces. The proposal will not increase tax rates, but requires 60.1% voter approval.

Bond Referendum Ballot Language:

"Shall the Board of Directors of the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District in the Counties of Polk and Jasper, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $48,000,000 to provide funds to construct, build, furnish, and equip a new elementary building and improve the site; to construct, build, furnish, and equip a classroom addition to the high school building, including related remodeling and site improvements; and to construct, build, furnish, and equip a baseball/softball athletic facilities and tennis/pickleball courts and improve the sites?"

***Resident voters will also elect four school board members on the November 7 ballot. To learn more about the school board election process and to meet the candidates, click here.

In the first few months of the 2023-24 school year, enrollment is up approximately 40 students from last year; however, annually this number typically trends in the range of 70-100 additional students per year. The district has worked closely with RSP & Associates for the past several years to project district enrollments. If our growth continues as projected, the new capacity created by another school would last a minimum of 8-10 years at the elementary level. At the high school level, major needs include increased cafeteria space, related-arts classrooms, and spaces for activities to support our growing programs. 

Facilities planning is an ongoing process. The proposed projects are based on input from the district’s infrastructure committee, administrative team, and Board of Education who utilize internal and external sources to help drive decisions.

The district works hard to accommodate increasing enrollment while balancing project needs and funding limitations. To assist in the planning process and to better predict future needs, the district partners with RSP & Associates to conduct enrollment studies. The data provided gives the district a strong snapshot as to future enrollment, school utilization, and the timing of needed construction projects.

Voter approval would NOT increase your school tax rate. In fact, in the last 3 years, the district has lowered our portion of property taxes by $2.01 per thousand. This has been a historic drop in the school tax rate.

Bondurant is one of the faster growing communities in our state. With new houses, comes new students. But even more of our growth has been in commercial property.  This commercial growth is the primary reason the district can borrow up to $48 million for the projects without increasing your school tax rate.

Our needs will not go away, additional space is needed to support our growing student body. If the bond doesn't meet the 60% (plus one) threshold to pass, we would revisit this with voters in November 2024, the earliest allowed by state law.

It is always important to vote in order to express your opinion. Taxes have a circle of life. At another time in your life, others were likely paying taxes to fund your education, as you might now pay taxes to fund the education of students today.

We want to hear from you! If you have a specific question, please click here to submit it online or call our district office at 515-967-7819.

Community members are invited to attend upcoming in-person and virtual meetings to learn more about this important vote. Click here to view meeting dates, times, and locations.