Despite objections from some residents and two of its own members, the Waterloo (Iowa) school board has voted to move all 10th- to 12th-grade students to a new $165 million building beginning with the 2028-29 school year.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the board voted 5-2 to consolidate East and West high schools and create a single facility. Unless a petition gathers enough signatures to force a public vote, the decision allows the district to issue revenue bonds for the project
The bonds would enable the district to convert Central Middle School and the Waterloo Career Center into a new high school that would house the district’s students in grades 10 through 12. The existing East and West high school buildings would then become attendance centers for all eighth and ninth graders.
Nearly 2,000 students would attend the new school.
Rather than raise property taxes, the district will use a statewide sales tax to pay for the projects. Jeff Sommerfeldt, the district’s chief financial officer, said Waterloo Schools sees about $12 million to $13 million per year in revenue from the statewide sales tax.
Voters in the district have the right to file a petition by 5 p.m. Aug. 12 to force a referendum on the bond issuance. The petition must be signed by at least 2,342 eligible voters within the school district. A valid petition would require the board to put the issue before the voters or withdraw it completely.
