NICKERSON, Kan. — The Nickerson USD 309 School Board got an update from Interim Superintendent Jeanne Stroh on the bond issue during Monday’s meeting. The district is sending a $29.9 million facilities improvement bond issue to voters Nov. 5.

“I updated the board on the concept drawings from the architect and kind of where we were in terms of the campaign committee,” Stroh said. The committee is separate from the district and will be in charge of promoting passage of the bond issue. “They have a finance sub-committee and they’re raising funds. They will do all of the campaigning kind of stuff,” Stroh said. “For the district, my job and our job is to provide neutral information. Here’s what’s happening, here’s the mill rate, here’s the interest rate, this is the concept drawing, those kinds of things.”

Part of the report was certainly good news. Since the district started work on the bond issue, interest rates have been falling and are expected to continue to fall through the year. Interest rates have fallen by more than 4/10ths of one percent to 3.3%. That means the proposed mill levy increase has fallen by 1.25 mills.

The bond issue would help fund major improvements at South Hutchinson Elementary School, as well as improvements to both Reno Valley Middle School and Nickerson High School.