For the first time in nearly 60 years, Kansas City Public Schools will receive bond funding. Voters approved a historic $474 million bond measure that will promote public education and student and teacher safety, with 85% voting in favor. The general obligation bond will fund construction, repairs, and major updates to district school buildings, including $50 million allocated to nine public charter schools.
The bond will be repaid over a 20-year period through property taxes. While it will be funded by property taxes, the bond measure itself is not a tax—it is a financing tool that allows the district to raise funds for capital improvements.
Before Tuesday’s vote, KCPS was the only school district in the Kansas City area without bond funding. The district has identified approximately $1.25 billion in deferred maintenance and renovation needs, including critical infrastructure repairs. With the new bond revenue, KCPS plans to improve student academic performance by building science and mathematics labs and addressing urgent issues such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and roofing across all its schools.
The district has already outlined proposed projects for each school.
KCPS will also welcome two new members to its Board of Directors: Brittany Foley and Tricia McGhee. Foley will represent Sub-District 5 after securing the victory over Bruce Beatty, while Tricia McGhee was elected unopposed in Sub-District 3.
“This win isn’t just mine. It belongs to every young Black girl who was told she had to wait her turn,” Foley wrote on her Facebook page following the election results.
“To every parent who has ever felt invisible in the decisions that shape their child’s future. To every student sitting in a classroom wondering if anyone in power truly sees them. I see you. I am you.”
Brittany Foley, KCPS Board Member-elect.
Incumbents Tanisha Ford (at-large) and Rita Cortés (sub-district 1) will remain on the Board, defeating their opponents, Joseph Nelson and Kelly Thompson, respectively. All school board members will serve four-year terms, expiring in 2029.
