A common topic of discussion is how the March 3, 2026 bond plan is different from past plans. One of the biggest differences is the tax impact.
Question 1 passing will not increase the mill (tax) rate levied by the district. The district is paying off an existing bond about 6 years early, so question 1, if successful, would continue the existing mill rate to roll into a new bond and fund these projects. The district is also adjusting the mill rate for its local option budget (LOB) to match the current need, which gives some additional room to cover the cost of this bond without increasing the mill rate.
Because question 1 must be successful for question 2 to move forward, question 2 then requires a modest mill rate increase of 4.75. This equates to $9.10/month for the median homeowner in McPherson ($200,000 home).
For comparison, the November 2023 bond would have required a mill increase to cover the whole cost of the bond ($88.5M), which would have meant an increase of $20.06/month for the median homeowner in McPherson ($200,000 home).
For less than half the tax impact of past proposals, this plan addresses the district’s most urgent needs and positions McPherson schools for the next 30+ years.
This difference is possible because of careful financial stewardship, including paying off the current bond early and adjusting the local option budget mill rate.
For more information, please visit our website: https://www.mcpherson.com/apps/pages/March2026Bond