Ankeny Schools Ask Voters To Support 11th Elementary School

ANKENY, IA — Ankeny is ready to ask voters to fund its next elementary school by issuing $18 million in bonds. The proposed building — 98,400 square feet on a 15-acre site in the Prairie Trail development — would have a capacity of 750 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. If it's approved in a Feb. 6 vote, construction would begin in spring 2019, with completion of the building in time for fall 2020 classes.

Officials say the Ankeny district, which is growing at a rate of 400 to 500 students a year, needs an 11th elementary school to reduce class sizes throughout the district. While they would adjust school boundaries to accommodate for a new building, officials also have said failure of the bond also would result in boundary line changes, "perhaps sooner than they would be implemented with passage of the bond."

"More students will likely change schools in the event of the bond failing than with passage, as the district will go from a ten elementary configuration to nine elementary buildings," information on the district's website says.

Ankeny schools will move ahead with plans to turn Terrace Elementary School into a centralized preschool by August 2020, regardless of the outcome of the bond vote.

School officials say without the new building, all other elementary schools will experience overcrowding, and boundary changes would be required to even out class sizes.

"When classrooms begin to fill across the district, students from overcrowded schools will be moved to schools with space; regardless of whether they are in the north or south (feeder). Without elementary 11, some students may attend schools that are not in their feeder system," the district's information states.

Construction of a new school will not raise property taxes in the district, officials added. The district has seen a cumulative drop of $3.83 in its tax rate in the past five years.

"We are keeping our promises to lower taxes," officials said in the information online. "This bond would be tax neutral, meaning there would be no effect on property tax."

They credit improved district finances in recent years and and more effective planning to fund the opening of schools with the ability to add a school without property tax increases.

"Construction of the next elementary will not be the end," officials added. "As long as Ankeny continues to grow at 400+ students per year, the district will need to begin construction of a new elementary school at least every five years. There is already land purchased in the northwest corner of Ankeny for the next elementary, and the Board is continually looking for additional land for elementary buildings."

The district already anticipates asking voters within two years for approval of another bond referendum of nearly the same amount to pay for additions to Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial high schools.

The $18 million needed for the elementary building would cover the cost of construction. The district has an additional $900,000 on hand to use for furniture, fixtures and equipment in a new school.

Learn more about the bond referendum and district building plans in the "ACSD Grows" section of the strict website.

Image via FRK Architects, provided by Ankeny schools