Carthage voters to decide $25 million high school expansion plan

CARTHAGE, Mo. — In a few months, Carthage residents will decide whether to greenlight new construction at the high school.

The Carthage High School campus could be expanding with the addition of an auditorium and new classrooms.

"For a school district our size, we just don't have accessibility to an auditorium that we need. So, for example, we do have a smaller auditorium at the sixth grade center, but for our students to be able to use that space takes a lot of coordination, effort, and time. As a result, our students just don't get to perform on stage very often," said Dr. Luke Boyer, Carthage R-9 Superintendent.

The upcoming ballot will ask voters to extend the current bond up to five years, raising $25 million for the project.

Dr. Luke Boyer says it would also open the door for new programs.

"One part of this project that we're excited about is the possibility of bringing the Junior ROTC program to the district.

We've been awarded that twice in the past, and we've had to decline it simply because we do not have any space. So, we think that'd be a great project for our students."

The construction would be one of two questions on the ballot.

R-9 is also asking for an operating levy increase of 55 cents, or about 14 percent, adding that the CPI is up 22 percent just since 2020.

"Our costs have skyrocketed, but the revenue that we bring in is staying very stable. So, we're just at a point where we need to increase our revenue the only way that schools can, and that's through an operating tax increase."

If that increase is approved, it would address a $1.8 million budget deficit and give teachers raises.

"We're paying about $4,000 less than Joplin and Webb City on our starting salary schedule, so we need to bump those wages up. But it's just very difficult to do with the deficit budget," said Dr. Boyer.

Voters will decide the two issues on the April 8 ballot.