The Mid-Prairie Board of Directors will hold a public hearing for an amendment to their current fiscal year budget. This amendment sees a $4.4 million increase for land purchases and revenue bond refinancing. The reason for this increase is due to the district purchasing two parcels of land totaling 28 acres for $308,600 for future purposes. The land lies directly across the highway from the high school and was bought from a family selling off assets after their mother passed away. Superintendent Mark Schneider explains why the school board bought the property now instead of later, “Because it was right next to the high school sight and we’re running out of space on the high school side, for future purposes, the school board decided to go ahead and go through the auction and see if they could purchase it at a reasonable price, and that did happen. In the future, all indications are that the district is going to continue to grow and at some point and time in the future we’re going to need more property on the high school site. So this allows that property to be available for anything that might happen down the road. The school board felt it would probably be the cheapest it will ever be at that auction. Let’s say they need the property in 20 years, they would end up paying a lot more than what they did at auction for that property.”  

The remaining balance from this amended item included $3.6 million paid for refinancing their Secure an Advanced Vision for Education bonds. The amendment also lists an additional $510,000 for additional paraprofessional support staff in special education. These changed estimates will not lead to an increase in property taxes, according to Schneider. Any resident or taxpayer is welcome to attend this public hearing to voice their opinion of the changes. The hearing will be held on Monday, March 23rd at the Mid-Prairie Central Offices Community Room starting at 7:25 p.m.