For the third year in a row, the Ackley-Geneva-Wellsburg-Steamboat Rock school district is trying to get a bond issue approved. Before 2023, the district could have tried multiple times in a year, but the Legislature put a stop to that.
In 2024, with 1912 votes cast, a $14.45 million referendum failed by 18 votes. In 2025, with 1151 votes cast, a $12.765 million referendum failed by 63 votes. For 2026, it is $10.8 million.
(Note: Inflation would add nearly $1 million to the 2024 amount today if the work had been left unchanged.)
The 2024 and 2026 versions involve HVAC systems, new bus barns, and renovations to both science and FCS classrooms. What 2024 had that 2026 doesn’t is tuckpointing and window work, which could be covered by a PPEL instead. Both 2025 and 2026 have a multipurpose/indoor recess facility and, as stated on the 2026 version’s website: “A brand-new, state-of-the-art weight room, dedicated wrestling facilities for both boys and girls, new batting cages, and so much more.”
The information sheet for the current bond says the district has the third-lowest cumulative tax rate of the 15 schools in the North Iowa Cedar League.