School bond addresses overcrowding

American Falls School District 381 is asking voters to pass a $10.4 million bond to help it’s overcrowding situation at Hillcrest Elementary.

Right now, the Hillcrest serves kindergarten through third grade and has about 500 students.

With the help of the bond, six third grade classrooms would be built at the Intermediate School to move Hillcrest’s third graders into. The move would balance both schools’ populations to around 350 to 400 students.

Ronald Bolinger, superintendent for District 381, said if the bond passes taxes wouldn’t increase. The district would issue a bond anticipation note, so after the existing bond is paid off in 2018 the new bond will take its place.

“The $10.4 million bond would take over so there wouldn’t be any increase of the current rate,” said Bolinger. “There would be no effect as far as what our patrons are paying for the next two years.”

Bolinger also said when the new bond takes over, the school tax would decrease 38 percent.

The bond would also help pay for school renovations and a new gym for the high school.