Maries County R-1 Board of Education has placed a $1 million no tax increase bond issue question on the April 7 ballot for voters to approve funding for repairs, infrastructure and safety measures at district facilities. The measure requires a four-sevenths majority, meaning at least 57.1 percent of ballots cast must be in favor of the bond for it to pass.

Superintendent Dr. Teresa Messersmith said on March 20 that the bond would allow the district to replace roofs, HVAC systems and asphalt parking lots without increasing its existing 44-cent debt service levy, which hasn’t changed since the 2016-17 school year.

“The district is planning to replace HVAC units in K-12 classrooms,” Messersmith began. “These HVAC units are nearing 20 years old. They were installed in 2006 when the current high school was built.”

The average life span of an HVAC unit is between 15 and 20 years.

“The district is concerned that all the units may start having mechanical issues or need to be replaced all at once,” Messersmith said. “New HVAC units would improve energy efficiency, lower annual maintenance costs and utility bills.”

If passed, the district also plans to replace the elementary and middle school classroom doors.

“Currently, the Maries R-I elementary and middle school classroom doors do not have solid cores, do not meet fire safety standards or the testing standards for forced-entry resistant doors, and do not open and close properly. The District is looking to replace the classroom doors with interior doors that meet modern safety standards for classrooms,” Messersmith explained.

Its third need is repairing the parking lot at the elementary school.

“The district is planning to asphalt the elementary parking lot,” Messersmith said. “It will give us a better quality of parking lot, something that will be consistent with the existing high school parking lot.”

After replacing multiple roofs from funds approved in the 2024 Proposition K.I.D.S. no tax increase bond issue, the FACS roof and high school gym roof are the only ones that are left to be replaced, according to Messersmith. The 2026 Proposition Eagles bond includes funds to replace both the FACS and high school gymnasium roofs.

As officials announced the no increase bond issue request last year, they also released financial information about past bonds and how they continue to try to be good stewards of public funds. For example, the board was able to make several needed repairs from the district’s $3.3502 operating budget, separate from the debt service levy, before asking the voters to extend the debt service tax, essentially using its savings account to complete and maintain facilities.

“Within the last three years, the district has put new roofs on the middle school, high school and Ag shop,” Messersmith said. “District funds (from the operating levy) were used to replace the middle school roof.”

The high school and Ag shop roofs were paid for with funds from Proposition K.I.D.S.

Projects that are not completed from the Proposition K.I.D.S. 2024 no tax increase bond issue are expected to be finished later this summer. Projects from Proposition K.I.D.S. included:

• Remodeled the preschool’s second through third-grade restrooms as well as the third through fifth-grade restrooms;

• Installation of new ceiling tiles and lighting in the preschool through second-grade wing;

• New epoxy flooring in the elementary gymnasium;

• New elementary preschool through second grade furnace;

• New elementary boiler system;

• New high school roof;

• Installation of HVAC systems in the elementary and high school gyms;

• A new Ag. roof;

• A new handicap sidewalk;

• Tuck pointing around the high school gym; and

• Sealing the high school parking lot.

Maries County R-1 officials and board members have a history of maintaining fiscal responsibility for both bond issues and regular tax dollars. Keeping the debt service levy has allowed for the continued maintenance of district facilities without having to raise taxes for big projects.

Maries R-1 holds the seventh-lowest debt service levy out of 10 surrounding school districts. Bond funds may only be used for capital improvements, such as buildings and buses.

“Compared to other school districts in our surrounding area, Maries R-I school’s overall tax levy is low,” Messersmith said. “The district has always tried to do what we can to not raise taxes.”

Proposition Eagles does not require a tax increase, though that doesn’t mean tax bills won’t increase at some point.

“Your property assessed valuation could affect your personal property bill, but there would be no tax increase from the bond issue,” Messersmith explained. “The district has a tax rate ceiling that the state sets for our debt service levy. Over the last 15 years, the district has taken less than the ceiling to keep the tax burden lighter on our patrons.”

When the district approves its debt service levy, Messersmith says her recommendation to the board is to accept only the amount they need to pay off the existing debt.

“The district rolls back the debt service levy to an amount that will provide funding to meet the bond principal and bond interest payments for the year,” she said.

The available debt service levy ceiling in 2025 was .6544 cents per $100 of assessed valuation; however, the district rolled the debt service levy back to 44 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. In 2016-17, the debt service levy went from 40 cents to 44 cents and has been 44 cents every year since.

“Over the past 15 years, the debt service levy has increased very little,” Messersmith said.

The bond language on the April 7 ballot reads, “The Board of Education is seeking voter approval at the April 7, 2026, election for a $1 million general obligation bond issue that extends, but does not increase, the current 44-cent debt service tax levy of the district.

“Shall the Board of Education of the Maries County R-1 School District, Missouri, without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of $1 million for th purpose of providing funds to repair/replace roofs; to complete heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades; to replace interior elementary classroom doors; to pave the elementary school parking lot; to the extent funds are available, complete other repairs and improvements to the existing facilities of the district; and issue general obligation bonds for the payment thereof? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the school district is estimated to remain unchanged at 44 cents per $100 of assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

To approve the general obligation bond, voters may mark “yes” on the ballot request.