Faced with enrollment growth and a shortage of classroom space, the Goshen Board of Education will seek voter approval of a bond issue in the spring of 2024.
On Monday, Nov. 20, the Board voted 5-0 to take the final step to place a 3.9 mill bond issue on the March 19, 2024 ballot. This bond issue would raise $26 million for the construction of 14 classrooms at Goshen High School, 10 classrooms at Goshen Middle School and 10 classrooms at Spaulding Elementary. Traffic and campus safety updates are also included in this request.
As Superintendent Brian Bailey explained during the meeting, this bond request would be Phase I of a two-phase plan to address growth that will take the district through the next 10-15 years of operation. This request is different from bond requests in 2019 and 2022 that were both defeated by voters. Both of those requests sought to build new school buildings, along with additions or renovations to existing buildings.
“We know the growth is coming and we need to be prepared,” he said. “This phased approach builds the classroom space we need, helps us keep class sizes smaller, and is a fiscally-sensitive plan for our community.”
New home construction is booming within the district’s borders. More than 1,000 new homes are expected to be built in the next 3-5 years, and with new homes comes new Goshen students. With district facilities already operating about 400 students over capacity, there is little educational space to accommodate growth.
If approved, the March 2024 bond issue would cost $137 annually for the owner of a home with an appraised value of $100,000.