No-excuse early voting began Tuesday across Missouri, and Kansas City Public Schools is highlighting a proposed general obligation bond that would fund building improvements across the district. If approved, it would be the first GO bond passed by Kansas City voters for the district in 58 years.What is a GO bond?GO bonds are used by state and local governments, along with school districts, to raise money for projects that don’t generate revenue on their own, like roads, parks and schools. They must be put to a public vote. They are not backed by a revenue-producing asset; instead, they are funded by the entities' ability to tax. Under the Missouri Constitution, these bonds can stretch no longer than 20 years. Where does the money come from?Taxes — specifically real and personal property taxes.The ballot question says that, if approved, the Kansas City school district would levy a property tax of $0.6100 per $100 of assessed valuation.What does that mean? An additional 61 cents per every $100 of what your property is assessed at will go to fund this bond. Someone owning a home with an assessed value of $45,000 will see an increase of $274.50 in property taxes on the home each year. If your taxes are rolled into a monthly mortgage payment, that breaks down to an additional $22.87 per month. A vehicle with an assessed value of $7,000 will see an additional $42.70 in property taxes.Note: In both cases, the assessed value is different from the market value or what your home or property would sell for on the market. (If you’re a person who likes numbers, your assessed value is roughly 19% of your residential property’s value. In this example, a Jackson County home with a market value of $236,800 has an assessed value of around $45,000. These are ballpark numbers.)I live in Kansas City — will I owe the tax if the GO bond passes?That all depends on your tax jurisdiction. In this case, that’s specific to your school district.Is your residence zoned for the Center School District or Hickman Mills School District, for example? Then, no, you will not see a tax increase if the GO bond passes. Only those homes covered by Kansas City Public Schools will be part of the tax.Jackson County offers an online tool to view your taxing jurisdiction. Full ballot language:"To promote public education, student and teacher safety, and academic performance, shall The School District of Kansas City 33 (d/b/a Kansas City Public Schools) issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $474,000,000, for constructing, repairing, improving, and equipping new and aging public school buildings, including safety and security measures, heating and cooling systems, roofs, plumbing, and other deferred maintenance? If this question is approved, the District will levy a debt service property tax in the estimated amount of $0.6100 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property, with $50,000,000 of the total $474,000,000 amount of general obligation bonds allocated for nine participating public charter schools."- Sample Ballot, Kansas City Election BoardWhat will the money go toward?The district says the funds are desperately needed to improve more than 40 schools to address deferred maintenance and urgent facility needs. The district says it’s facing over $1 billion in deferred maintenance and renovation needs. It has provided a full list of proposed projects listed out by schools here.Common themes include classroom renovations, maintenance and replacement of some heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning and electrical systems, roofs, windows, plumbing, and more. In addition, the money would support improved learning environments, like science, technology, engineering, arts and math labs, gym and athletic facilities, outdoor classrooms and play areas, plus secure entry points. More on the April 2025 Kansas City school bond:If approved, Kansas City Public Schools will pay the bonds back over a 20-year period using the previously mentioned raised property tax revenue. The district says its average school building is more than 60 years old, and most have urgent repair needs. Meanwhile, Kansas City hasn’t passed a bond to benefit schools since 1967. KCPS says it’s the only district without this funding tool. Of the $474 million raised by the bond, $424 million would go to KCPS, and the additional $50 million would go to the district’s nine charter school partners. Read the district’s FAQ’s here. What happens if the bond doesn’t pass?The district says planned upgrades would be scrapped, and more “band-aid” or temporary fixes would be needed for maintenance.