The district hired OPN Architects to conduct a thorough assessment of our facilities. They investigated the physical conditions as well as how the buildings support teaching and learning. The findings of these assessments were presented to a facility advisory committee made up of community members, business owners, parents, staff, and students. The committee then considered all the needs and prioritized safety and security, the high school campus, overall district capacity and classroom space. The final proposed 10-year master plan that will address these most pressing facility needs by creating safe and equitable learning environments for all students in our district. 

The project will be paid for using a combination of property tax from an approximate $88 million bond referendum and SAVE sales tax revenue. Property tax revenue is determined by the school board of each district. DCG’s debt service levy is already at the $4.05 maximum and will remain constant through the completion of the 2025 bond project. We will continue the current rate by extending our current debt.

Shall the Board of Directors of the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, in the Counties of Polk and Dallas, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $88,000,000 to provide funds to reconstruct, repair, improve, remodel, furnish, and equip portions of the existing High School building, including facilities and spaces supporting extracurricular activities at the High School campus, and to construct, furnish and equip additions to the existing High School Building; and to reconstruct, repair, improve, remodel, furnish, and equip portions of the existing Middle School building, and Dallas Center and North Ridge Elementary buildings; to make safety, security, and technology improvements, and playground and site improvements at all Elementary buildings and the Middle School building; to improve, furnish, and equip the Oak View athletic facility; and to reconstruct, repair, improve, remodel, furnish and equip the existing transportation/operations facility, including the construction of an additional building and parking improvements and improving the site?

Vote Absentee In-Person:  In-person absentee voting is available beginning 20 days prior to the election and runs up to 5 p.m. the day prior to the election. You can vote in your county auditor’s office or satellite locations, if available.
Vote Absentee by Mail: You can submit requests to receive absentee ballots by mail between 70 and 15 days prior to Election Day. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can hand-deliver your ballot to the auditor if you do not mail it in time.  Click here to request an absentee ballot form.
Vote In-Person on November 4: The only way to vote on Election Day is by casting a vote at your assigned polling place. Contact your auditor’s office to confirm your polling place.

The 2025 DCG Bond Referendum will not include a brand new auditorium at DCG High School. A brand new auditorium has a projected cost of $28-32 million, which would be approximately one-third of our total bond amount. There will be significant improvements to the current DCG High School Auditorium, including new lighting, sound system and seats. The goal will be to change the entire look and feel of the current auditorium, without adding any additional seats.

Our Debt Service levy has been at the maximum ($4.05/per 1,000 of assessed valuation) and will continue to be at the $4.05 level whether the bond is successful in November or not.  Currently our board processes payment of interest  and principal payments on outstanding bonds, and any amount available after those payments is (typically) approved by our school board as a “prelevy” which is applied to our most expensive outstanding debt.  Should a bond issue pass on the ballot in November, those funds which were previously allocated to a prelevy will instead become the principal and interest amount on a new bond.