Kingston Board Seeks No-Tax-Increase Bond Issue For High School Gymnasium

The Kingston K-14 School District Board of Education voted unanimously last week (Thursday, January 20th) to place a no-tax-increase general obligation bond issue on the April 5, 2022 Washington County ballot, to be used for the construction of a new gymnasium and additional improved building spaces for student and community activities.

Kingston K-14 is asking the public to approve a $3.35 million no-tax-increase bond issue to provide funds to construct an additional gymnasium and to upgrade facilities for the high school and the Kingston community. Passage of the bond issue will not increase the district’s property tax levy.
The district has the ability to borrow the money for capital improvements based on the refinancing of existing bond levels. Taxes will not go down if the measure fails, because Kingston will continue to pay off debt related to the construction of Kingston Elementary finished in 2013, and Kingston Primary finished in 2003.
The district adjusted debt service levy will remain unchanged at $0.9895 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property. Kingston has not raised its levy in the past 15 years.

The bond issue language reads in part: “for the purpose of providing funds to construct, equip, and furnish a new High School Gymnasium; to the extent funds are available, complete other repairs and improvements to the existing facilities…”

Beyond a new gymnasium and additional new construction spaces, district officials said that it is very important to improve the junior high/high school cafeteria and improve main building bathrooms, a priority for current students who were polled by the district’s architectural/design firm, Incite Design Studio (St. Louis).
The current high school gymnasium is 37 years old and was designed and built to be a junior high gymnasium for a K-8 district completed in 1985. Kingston High School has only had grades 9-12 since 1996 when the high school addition was completed. Concessions are housed in a junior high art classroom. Physical education classes are overcrowded in the small facility and there is no economical way to expand the existing 1985 gymnasium. The current gymnasium is locked in by structural classrooms and hallways on all four sides. A new gymnasium would seat more than 800 people. The existing gymnasium seats approximately 400.
If the bond issue passes, Kingston will have a facility able to accommodate Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) district events in volleyball, basketball and other activities. Out of the 12 Mineral Area Activities Association (MAAA) schools, only Valle Catholic has a smaller high school gymnasium. Kingston has the smallest public school district gymnasium in the MAAA.

According to Kingston K-14 School District, the money generated by the district’s bond equity will alleviate gymnasium scheduling conflicts of activities for the district and the community at large. Community organizations such as St. Joachim and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) will have better access to public facilities for their sports activities. Expanded K-14 activities such as junior high and high school archery will have space available at earlier times with more frequency.

Kingston administrators believe that a new gymnasium with additional facilities will take some of the pressure off of the elementary/primary gymnasium, used for all of the Kingston Junior High athletic activities and for Kingston High School graduation ceremonies.
“The Kingston Board of Education cares about the needs of our taxpayers regarding pocketbook issues and tax increases,” said Dr. Lee Ann Wallace, Kingston K-14 Superintendent of Schools, “and we have found a way to improve district facilities without increasing the burden on our taxpayers. We are growing as a district, and these upgraded facilities will help alleviate our growing pains.”

“State funding limitations necessitate the need for us to use bond equity to make needed improvements, repairs and upgrades,” said Wallace. “A successful bond issue will give the Kingston community a new source of pride.”