Olathe voters will decide via mail-in ballot in March on a $389 million bond referendum that district staff say will fund facility upgrades, school consolidation and technology improvements.
The Olathe Board of Education unanimously approved the measure last week.
Where would the money go?
The largest share, an estimated $70 million, would fund the district’s Capital Improvement Plan, which covers building maintenance such as HVAC repair, roofs and paving.
The next largest portion, $68 million, would go to consolidating elementary schools. The proposed bond would fund the construction of two new elementary schools to replace four described as “end of life.”
When creating the bond initiative, staffers surveyed Olathe residents for ideas and feedback. A good majority of respondents — 71.5% — agreed that the district should consolidate elementary schools. The bond does not specify which schools would be closed and consolidated.
The proposal comes after years of declining enrollment for the district. The board also decided in last week’s meeting to send Westview Elementary students to nearby Rolling Ridge Elementary after Westview closes.
Other proposed expenses:
- $64 million for technology replacement and audio enhancement in classrooms
- $55 million to update high school facilities
- $50 million to athletics and activities, including creating multipurpose rooms and additional outdoor fields to accommodate expanding girls sports
- $32 million to rebuild Meadow Lane Elementary School
- $20 million to update middle school facilities
- $15 million for furniture replacement
- $10 million for safety and security
- $4 million to update elementary schools
- $1 million for musical instrument replacement
Board member Brad Boyd asked Olathe schools’ Chief Financial Officer John Hutchison, who presented the board with the proposed bond, how the district can ask for a bond while also facing declining enrollment.
“While we no longer need the bond funds to accommodate our growth,” Hutchison said, “we do have an obligation to maintain the buildings that we do have [and] seek efficiencies.”
Hutchison said this bond, if approved, would also help free up operational money to attract and retain staff.
What is a bond referendum?
A bond referendum is a special election in which Olathe school district voters can decide whether to allow the district to sell bonds to investors, according to the district’s website. Bonds can only be used to construct, improve, equip or furnish school facilities, but cannot legally be used for operational costs, like salaries.
Hutchison said the proposed bond would not increase property taxes.
Olathe voters were last asked about a bond initiative for the school district in 2022, which passed with 67.7% of the vote. That bond, which was for $298.3 million, mostly funded facility projects like renovating school auditoriums, athletic complexes, playgrounds and fields.
Hutchison pointed to higher construction costs as a reason for the increased price tag of the 2026 bond.
Over $60 million of the 2022 bond went toward rebuilding Santa Fe Middle School. The new building was constructed behind the old middle school and opened for the 2024-25 school year.
About $47 million of the 2022 bond measure was set aside for the Olathe Innovation Center, which houses career and technical education programs like culinary arts and animal sciences, and is slated to open in 2026.
The district hasn’t spent the entirety of the 2022 bond, however. Pending projects include HVAC and roofing upgrades to be constructed next summer break.
Olathe voters also passed a $156 million bond in 2016.
Election Day is March 3, 2026, and voters within the Olathe school district will vote via mail-in ballot.
