Patrons in the Wright City R-II School District will vote next week on a no-tax increase bond issue to enable the district to buy land for future expansion when a new high school is needed. Prop WCHS would fund the purchase of 85 acres of land south of interstate 70 and bordered by Highway F and Roelker Road for a future new high school. It will not increase in the district's current debt service property tax levy, according to district officials. The bond issue and land purchase at this time allow the district to secure land while real estate prices and interest rates are low in a down economy. Once the area is back on a solid growth path, the officials said they will follow the same model it used in developing the present middle school. If Proposition WCHS is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the school district will remain at its current level of $0.9370 per $100 of assessed valuation of real and personal property. Under the federal government's Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) that is part of the stimulus plan, the bonds provide federal tax credits for bondholders in lieu of interest as a way of significantly reducing an issuer's cost of borrowing. Under law, debt service cannot be transferred to school operating budgets for classroom and other instructional purposes. "Building a high school for our future requires this amount of land," said school board President Austin Jones. "This is a smart investment in our children's and community's future, allowing us to buy land at a significantly reduced price and on favorable terms." The school's long-range facilities plan developed in 2006 included building a new high school, along with other improvements covered under Prop KIDS (Keep Improving District Schools), a $3.5-million no-tax increase bond issue passed last April. Superintendent Dr. Chris Gaines said earlier that while current enrollment does not necessitate construction now, land prices in the current economy enabled the district to secure a contract price that is roughly two-thirds of what was quoted two years ago. "This purchase puts us on a continual march to execute our broader plan," he said. "With the land already paid for at very favorable terms, we will have eased the financial and planning burden for the future and for the day when the district knows it's time to build." At that point, leaders can focus on raising money for construction without having to worry about finding a good location at a good price, he said.