The Whitefish School Board trustees approved placing $32.6 Million bond questions on the September ballot. The bonds aimed at financing a high school expansion and renovation, along with the construction of an on-campus football stadium and track.
Last October, voters rejected a $33.7 million bond measure encompassing both the high school expansion and a more extensive athletic facility project. This time around, the high school expansion is estimated at $26.5 million, while the scaled-back sports fields plan comes in at $6.1 million.
Approval of the high school bond would mean an $88.04 tax increase in the first year for a home valued at $600,000, while the athletic improvement bond would raise taxes on such a home by $26.33 in the first year.
Despite the reduced cost of the new sports facility plan by $5.5 million compared to the previous proposal, overall savings from both bonds combined amount to only $1.1 million, primarily due to inflationary construction costs.
The high school project aims to add classrooms, labs, shops, and renovate the kitchen and Whitefish Independent High School. It also involves expanding Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilities, a multipurpose room near the gym, and enhancing STEM facilities to accommodate anticipated enrollment growth over the next 15 to 20 years.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
