School districts must now hold a voter election before issuing capital outlay certificates, lease-purchase contracts, or installment purchase contracts that will obligate the district for future payments exceeding 1.5% of the district's taxable property value. Previously, school boards could approve these financial commitments after only a public hearing; this bill adds a requirement that voters must approve them through an election.
The amendment expands the bill to cover not just capital outlay certificates but also lease-purchase and installment purchase contracts, and it creates a mandatory voter approval requirement for contracts exceeding ten years in maturity rather than making voter referral discretionary—significantly strengthening voter oversight of long-term school district financial obligations. Additionally, it raises the automatic hearing threshold from fifty thousand dollars to one and one-half percent of taxable property valuation, which narrows when hearings are automatically triggered.
Senate Do Pass Amended Failed, YEAS 16, NAYS 18. S.J. 362
Education Do Pass Amended Passed, YEAS 4, NAYS 3.
Education Motion to amend
Education Scheduled for hearing
First read in Senate and referred to Senate Education S.J. 179
Prime sponsor · Sen.
R
Do Pass Amended
Education — Do Pass Amended
Education — Do Pass Amended