GRIMES, Iowa– The $88 million bond referendum for the Dallas Center- Grimes Community School District would not increase property taxes for residents, but it would extend the debt timeline, according to the superintendent.

There are three main projects associated with this bond referendum, according to Superintendent Dr. Scott Blum.

Expanding the High School

Blum said the largest project will be expanding Dallas Center-Grimes High School. The district plans to make changes to the building’s facade to create a single point of entrance to the school, which was originally two separate buildings.

The district also plans to make additions and renovations to classrooms, labs, career and technical education (CTE), library, kitchen, cafeteria, locker rooms, and alternative education. This comes as the district expected class sizes to increase.

“We’ve got class sizes now in the high two hundreds, low three hundreds,” said Blum. “So, the big project is going to be expand our high school. We’re at about 1,150 students right now. The current building is probably closer to 1,100.”

The district will also make improvements to the district auditorium, parking lot, team rooms, locker rooms, and concession stands.

Enhancing Safety

Blum said the next project is enhancing safety measures throughout the district. This includes relocating the administrative areas at DCG Middle School and Dallas Center Elementary to create secure entries and creating a secure vestibule at North Ridge Elementary School.

Inclusive Playgrounds

The third project, Blum said, is having inclusive playgrounds at all elementary and middle schools in the district to ensure all students have access.

Inclusive playgrounds are planned to be built at Dallas Center Elementary, North Ridge Elementary, Heritage Elementary, and South Prairie Elementary Schools.

“I met last year with a group of fourth graders in one of our elementary schools, and they were advocating why their specific playground should get some upgrades because they’ve got some friends in wheelchairs, and we just kind of ran with it and ultimately were like, we need to do this across the board. And why we put it in the bond is so that those things can happen on a quicker time,” said Blum.

Other Projects

The district’s website also lists several other projects the bond will help supplement.

Oak View Middle School:

• Athletic facility upgrades

DCG Middle School:

• Renovate gymnasium
• Paving at parent drop off
• Building envelope improvements

Dallas Center Elementary:

• Building envelope improvements
• Mechanical system improvements

North Ridge Elementary:

• Gym floor replacement
• Building envelope improvements
• Parking lot improvements
• Mechanical system improvements

District Operations:

• Additional bus parking
• Additional operations storage area
• Additional bus service bays
• New district operations building

If passed, property taxes will not increase at DCG. Instead, the bond will add to the debt the district is already paying back.

According to the Iowa Tax Relief Report Card released on September 5th, the Dallas Center- Grimes School District has $19,463 in debt per student.

DCG school district residents pay a debt service levy and they will continue to pay it regardless of whether the bond passes. However, if the bond does pass, the district said residents will pay the levy longer since there will be more debt.

DCG’s debt service levy is already at the $4.05 per $1,000 of property valuation maximum and will remain constant through the completion of the 2025 bond project.