08/28/2026
TO THE PATRONS OF COPELAND USD #476
USD #476 Copeland will hold a bond election on November 3, 2026, seeking voter approval for $5.6 million in bond financing to construct a new elementary school and child nutrition kitchen.
The bond proposal is the culmination of a year-long planning process by the USD #476 Board of Education and administration. The proposed bond would serve as a continuation of the district's current bond issue, which was approved by voters in 2008 for $4 million.
Based on the 2026-2027 USD #476 budget, the projected bond mill levy is expected to remain flat. In addition, the projected mill levy is less than the district's historical average mill levy from 2010 through 2026.
If approved, the bond issue would allow the district to replace the existing elementary school structure, which was constructed in 1957.
The resolution contains the precise wording that will appear on the November ballot:
Shall Unified School District No. 476, Gray County, Kansas (Copeland), issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $5,600,000, to pay the costs to construct, furnish and equip a new elementary school addition, and all necessary improvements related thereto; all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 10-101 et seq., K.S.A. 25-2018(f), K.S.A. 72-5457, and K.S.A. 72-5458 et seq.?
USD #476 will begin providing voters with information about the bond proposal in September. A bond informational flyer containing additional details about the proposal is currently being produced and will be distributed to district patrons.
The Board of Education has scheduled an initial community meeting for September 22, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the gymnasium commons at 105 Thatcher Street in Copeland.
This meeting, along with additional community meetings that will be scheduled at a later date, is intended to provide patrons and community members with an opportunity to:
*Learn more about the proposed bond projects;
*View renderings of the proposed new building;
*Walk through the existing elementary school to view its current condition; and
*Ask questions about the bond proposal.
The district encourages all community members to become informed about the proposed bond issue and its potential impact on USD #476 before casting their vote on November 3, 2026.
