The Waterloo Schools Board of Education voted 5-2 Monday night to move forward with the new consolidated high school that will be built at the grounds of Central Middle School and the Waterloo Career Center. Construction on the new high school would begin next spring. Eventually Waterloo West and East High schools would become middle schools, with 8th and 9th graders, and the new school would open for the 2028-29 school year. The school building would be paid for by $165 million in revenue bonds. That will come from the school district’s SAVE fund, a statewide 1% sales tax divided between school districts on a per-pupil basis, versus a levy or tax bond referendum vote. After the meeting, Superintendent Jared Smith said he’s pleased with crossing that first step to a new beginning for Waterloo Schools.
Smith says there’s a lot of work to do between next spring and completion of the new school.
There is a chance, however, voters could petition to put the issue to a vote. Over 2,300 signatures would need to be on that petition and it would have to be done by August 12th.
