Lakota Local Schools voters approved Issue 2, a $223,483,492 school facilities bond, in the Nov. 3 election, according to Butler County’s unofficial election returns.
The bond received 25,999 yes votes, or 51.45%, and 24,538 no votes, or 48.55%, a margin of 1,461 votes. The report listed all 76 district precincts reporting and carried a Nov. 3, 11:39 p.m. update time. Results remain subject to the canvass and certification.
What the bond authorizes
The district’s bond resolution and ballot language authorize construction and renovation of school facilities, safety and security improvements, furnishings, equipment, site improvements and related land acquisition.
The bonds can be repaid over a maximum of 37 years. The accompanying property tax levy is estimated to average 2.2 mills over the repayment period, or $77 annually for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s market value. The ballot language specifies the 2028 tax year, with the first payment due in calendar year 2029.
How it fits the facilities plan
According to Lakota’s facilities funding plan, existing 2.2-mill bond payments end in 2028. Because the new collections begin afterward, the district says it does not anticipate an increase in the current bond tax rate.
That statement concerns the bond tax rate, rather than a guarantee that every household’s total property tax bill will stay unchanged.
The district’s plan lists an estimated $300 million project cost, about $77 million in state co-funding and a local share of about $223 million. Voter approval provides the local bond authorization; the funding page describes the district’s projected financing rather than completed construction.
