What you need to know: Ankeny schools bond vote

The Ankeny Community School District will ask voters to approve an $18 million bond Tuesday to pay for an 11th elementary school.

The Ankeny district is one of the fastest growing in Iowa, growing by 355 students this year.

The school would be similar in design to Prairie Trail and Rock Creek elementaries and built north of Des Moines Area Community College campus in the Prairie Trail development.

If approved by 60 percent of voters, construction would begin in the fall and the school would open in 2020.

Here's what you need to know before heading to the polls:

Why is a new elementary needed?

Four of Ankeny's 10 elementary schools are already operating above capacity, and projections indicate the district will add more than 1,500 new students by the 2021-2022 school year.

How many students would it serve?

The new school would be similar to Prairie Trail and Rock Creek. Each of those schools has a capacity of 750 students.

It would teach students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Preschool students will attend Ankeny's centralized early education center at Terrace Elementary once it opens in 2020.

What about the older students?

The district plans to build additions to both high schools beginning in the summer of 2020 and opening by fall 2021. The additions will increase each schools' capacity from 1,400 students to 1,860 students.

What impact will it have on property taxes?

The bond would have no effect on local property taxes, according to the school district. It would be assigned to the district's debt service levy.

Where can I vote?

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. You can find your polling location online at auditor.co.polk.ia.us.