When Perry County voters head to the polls on Aug. 4, they won’t simply be deciding the fate of Proposition K.I.D.S. They’ll be deciding what kind of community we want to be for the next generation.
Communities are remembered not only for what they preserve, but for what they choose to build.
Last spring, voters rejected a larger proposal to replace Perryville High School. The District 32 Board of Education listened. Rather than returning with the same request, board members went back to work, re-evaluated the numbers, sought additional information and returned with a significantly smaller proposal. The operating levy increase has been reduced from 41 cents to 22.15 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, reducing the amount to be raised from $52.5 million to $35 million.
That matters.
It demonstrates a willingness to respond to taxpayers’ concerns while still addressing a need that hasn’t changed.
Neither has the condition of Perryville High School.
The tornado that devastated the campus wasn’t anyone’s fault. But what happens next is entirely within our control.
This proposal isn’t about building something extravagant. It is about replacing what was lost with a school capable of serving students for decades to come. The proposed facility would include 34 instructional spaces, a gymnasium and a multipurpose center and would finally bring special education and art programs under one roof after years of being housed in separate facilities.
The financial plan also deserves careful consideration.
The district intends to combine $35 million generated through Prop K.I.D.S. with approximately $25 million from insurance proceeds, district funds and FEMA reimbursements to complete the estimated $60 million project.
Perhaps most importantly, FEMA has now officially determined the damaged high school qualifies for replacement under the Public Assistance Grant program and the federal agency will reimburse 75 percent of eligible project costs. Those reimbursements, however, only come after the district spends money on eligible construction, making local funding essential to unlocking those federal dollars.
There is also a timeline that cannot be ignored.
The district has until roughly May 2029 to complete the project within FEMA’s reimbursement window. Current plans would finish construction in December 2028, but delaying the project only increases uncertainty and jeopardizes the opportunity to maximize available federal assistance.
Critics are right to ask questions. Good taxpayers always should.
How much will this cost? Is the district spending wisely? What happens if FEMA reimbursements change?
Those questions have been asked repeatedly during public meetings, and district officials have answered them publicly. Superintendent Dr. Fara Jones has explained why the 2017 bond issue focused first on overcrowding, elementary improvements and the primary center, and how COVID-related inflation changed long-term plans. She has also acknowledged that FEMA reimbursements remain estimates, while outlining options the board would have if reimbursements exceed expectations.
Whether those answers satisfy every voter is a personal decision.
But voters should judge this proposal on today’s facts, not yesterday’s assumptions.
For many homeowners, the increase amounts to about $10 per month or less, according to materials provided by the campaign.
Reasonable people can disagree about taxes. They can disagree about government spending. Those are healthy debates.
What should unite us is the belief that Perry County’s children deserve safe classrooms, modern learning spaces and facilities that match the pride this community has always taken in its schools.
Every generation inherits responsibilities from the one before it. Previous generations built the schools many of us attended. They invested in facilities they themselves would never fully use because they understood education is one of the few investments that continues paying dividends long after the construction crews leave.
Now it is our turn.
On Aug. 4, we encourage voters to support Proposition K.I.D.S. It represents a more fiscally measured proposal, leverages substantial federal assistance and provides Perry County with an opportunity to rebuild stronger after disaster.
Our children deserve nothing less.
