Numerous construction and renovation projects are underway throughout the Lee's Summit R-7 School District thanks to passage of an April 2008 no-tax-increase $54 million bond issue. The bond issue was approved by 72 percent of voters on April 8, 2008. Also approved was a no-tax-increase Proposition C waiver continuance, which allows the district to continue rolling back a portion (20 cents) of the total Prop C property-tax waiver. All projects are on time and within budget.


A major component of the bond issue is the district's 18th elementary school, opening in August 2009 in the southeast portion of the school district. A groundbreaking ceremony for this new school, called Sunset Valley Elementary, was held in July 2008 at the school's site, located at 1850 SE Ranson Road, immediately south of Bailey Farm Park. School attendance boundaries were set in January 2009. A community team recommended the school's name, and students helped select the school's mascot. Click here to view larger photo of Sunset Valley Elementary.

Click here to view larger photo of
Prairie View Elementary construction.
Construction is complete for 28 kindergarten and support classrooms, located at 15 elementary schools throughout the school district. These school additions will allow theR-7 School District to implement all-day kindergarten in fall 2009. More information about all-day kindergarten in our school district is available at this web page.

Great Beginnings Early Education Center benefitted from the bond issue through the addition of two classrooms to help meet the needs of this growing program. Classrooms were complete in December 2008. GBEEC is located within Legacy Park on the district's east side.

Lee's Summit West High School is receiving a planned addition, opening for 2009-10. This phased 18-classroom addition increases the school's student capacity by 357 to 2,086 students, making its size comparable to the district's other two high schools. This type of phased construction process has been successful for the school district for many years and has included Lee's Summit North High School and Summit Lakes Middle School. Click here to view larger photo of LS West High School.

Work began during summer 2008 on additions and improvements at Lee's Summit High School and Lee's Summit North High School. Improvements at LSHS include storage, classroom areas, an editing studio for broadcast journalism classes and improvements in the family and consumer sciences areas. An addition at LSNHS includes an industrial-technology lab, band storage room, docking area/mechanical space and hallways. Both are complete in time for the 2009-10 school year.

Two elementary schools are also receiving significant improvements. An addition at Mason Elementary includes four regular classrooms, improvements to existing classrooms and offices, restroom/door upgrades and a new cafeteria/kitchen space. Construction began during summer 2008, and Mason improvements are complete by the beginning of the 2009-10 school year. A remodeling project at Hazel Grove Elementary will begin during 2009 with completion scheduled for July 2010. Work at Hazel Grove includes updating of existing spaces for classrooms and office areas.

Click here to view larger photo of Miller Park Center.
A project that will convert the district's recently vacated administrative office into a special-education day-treatment facility began in summer 2008 and was complete by summer 2009. Scheduled to open in fall 2009, Miller Park Center will serve students from first grade through high school who were previously being served outside the district through contracted programs. The renovated building also includes space for a PTA center, Health Services Department and occupational therapy/physical therapy staff members.

Click here to view larger
photo of aquatic center.
Construction began in fall 2008 on a self-supporting swim/dive facility to serve R-7 high school competitive swim/dive programs. Completion date is projected for summer 2009, and the Lee's Summit R-7 Aquatic Center will also provide opportunities for middle-school intramurals, physical-education and health instruction and community-relatedaquatics activities. This joint-use facility is located on district-owned land at Summit Lakes Middle School. A community groundbreaking ceremony was held Sept. 22 at the site. Click here to view larger photo of aquatic center ribbon cutting August 10.

A portion of the bond issue funding is earmarked for instructional technology, including replacement of identified technology equipment and support for ongoing instructional technology initiatives. This equipment was purchased during summer 2008 and summer 2009 and is available in schools during 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Band students at Lee's Summit High School and Lee's Summit North High School have new uniforms for fall 2008 thanks to approval of the bond issue. Also included was funding for replacement of specific high-cost musical instruments throughout the school district.

Students and families are also benefitting from the purchase of portable bleachers that are being used throughout the district, beginning in fall 2008. The new bleachers help alleviate crowding at school athletic events.

Numerous smaller capital projects throughout the district began in summer 2008 as part of the bond issue. These include school repairs and improvements, such as heating/ventilation/air-conditioning, handicapped accessibility, playgrounds, roofing, paving, flooring and painting.

Buses were purchased during summer 2008 in preparation for the 2008-09 school year. Buses included in the bond issue are replacement vehicles as well as several new buses to address growth needs.

All projects included in the no-tax-increase bond issue are part of the R-7 School District's Comprehensive Facility Master Plan. Both the bond issue and no-tax-increase Proposition C waiver issue were recommended by the district's broad-based Citizens' Advisory Committee after a thorough study. The school district is recognized both for its comprehensive planning efforts and its emphasis on citizen involvement in decisions impacting schools and community.

Scheduled Improvements

• Sunset Valley Elementary School in southeast portion of school district
  • R-7's 18th elementary
  • Opened fall 2009
• All-day kindergarten classrooms and support classrooms

  • Allowed R-7 to implement all-day kindergarten fall 2009
• School additions and improvements
• Great Beginnings Early Education Center
• Mason Elementary
• Hazel Grove Elementary
• Lee's Summit High School
• Lee's Summit North High School
• Lee's Summit West High School
• Instructional technology
• Miller Park Center, remodeled vacated administrative office to serve special needs students previously served outside of district
  • Opened fall 2009
• Self-supporting Aquatic Center
• Marching band uniform replacement at LSHS and LSNHS
• Portable bleachers for district-wide use
• Capital projects at schools
  • Includes repairs and improvements at numerous existing R-7 schools
• School bus purchases to meet growth needs, replace older vehicles; parking lot improvements

TOTAL NO-TAX-INCREASE BOND ISSUE $54 MILLION