ShawneeDispatch.com

De Soto — The De Soto School Board Monday will be one step closer to developing its next bond referendum.

At a special meeting, the board will review results from the $13,800 scientific survey of 400 district patrons. DeSieghardt Strategic Communications performed the survey by calling a representative sample of district patrons, asking them questions about school size, use of capital outlay funds for school additions and all-day kindergarten.

The results of the survey would help the board develop its next bond referendum, which likely would be presented to voters during the Nov. 4 presidential election.

Patrons recently rejected the last two bond referendums, one in September 2007 and one in November 2006, that the board designed to address the district's rapid growth.

After the failure of the September 2007 bond referendum, the board discussed using capital outlay funds that usually are reserved for district maintenance and upkeep to fund an addition to Starside Elementary School. While Starside is not experiencing growth like some of the elementary schools in western Shawnee, the school is in need of space to accommodate state-mandated programs.

The September 2007 bond referendum included $1.7 million for classroom additions to Starside and $3.25 million for four classrooms each at Clear Creek, Riverview and Mize elementary schools to address growth.

The board in November declined to vote on using $1.7 million of the $8.2 million capital outlay budget to pay for an expansion to Starside, citing that it might cause more grief than relief in the district.

"One of the things we've talked about is east versus west," board member Don Clark said at the November meeting. "I really think we have to take that into consideration. If all of a sudden we take capital outlay to handle the projects here is that going to make this separation between east versus west even bigger?"

The issue again was brought up at the Feb. 4 board meeting by board member Randy Johnson. However, the board decided that it would wait on the issue since the survey results would be available at the end of the month.

After discussing survey results at its special meeting, the board also will discuss facility needs. The board may take a vote at the meeting.

The special board meeting will be at 5 p.m. Monday at the District Administrative Building, 35200 W. 91st. St., De Soto.