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HALLSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ) The Hallsville School District is hosting public forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday, in the Secondary Cafeteria o provide residents with information on Proposition 2 and the proposed four-day school week appearing on the Nov. 4 ballot. District leaders say the goal of the forum is to provide clear, consistent information and answer community questions. Proposition 2 would authorize the issuance of $6.5 million in general obligation bonds to continue addressing the district’s facility needs. Voters approved the measure on April 8, 2025, with 75% support, but the State Auditor’s Office later declined to certify the bond because the Boone County Clerk’s office did not meet newspaper publication requirements outlined in Missouri law. Under state law, the Clerk’s office is required to publish legal notice in two newspapers of general circulation with differing political affiliations within the jurisdiction at least one week before the election. The district’s Board of Education voted in June to place Proposition 2 on the November ballot and approved final bond language in July. Pre-construction and design work has begun to ensure the district is ready to move forward quickly if voters approve the bond. According to the district, if passed, Proposition 2 funds, combined with money the district has saved, would complete Phase 2 of a three-phase facility improvement plan. Phase 2 includes: Expanding parking and improving traffic flow on the main campus. Adding new classrooms at Hallsville Primary School to accommodate growing enrollment. Relocating the baseball field and constructing a multipurpose field with an artificial surface. Installing additional security doors at main entrances across schools. Refinancing a lease-purchase agreement to reduce future financial obligations. Phase 1, completed in 2024, included a new middle school wing, storm shelter and football field. On the same ballot, residents will vote on whether to continue the district’s four-day school week. Under Missouri law, districts partially located in a city with more than 30,000 residents must seek voter approval to maintain a four-day schedule. Because roughly 0.05% of Hallsville’s boundaries fall within Columbia city limits, the district is required to place the question before voters. A “yes” vote would allow Hallsville to continue the four-day week for the next 10 years, pending board approval, while a “no” vote would require the district to return to a traditional five-day schedule with at least 169 instructional days. The district claims students have continued to meet high academic standards since the schedule change in 2022-23, with no decline in achievement. Officials also say the four-day week has helped recruit and retain high-quality teachers, with experienced educators making up nearly 94% of new hires for the 2025-26 school year. If the four-day week is not approved, the district claims returning to a five-day schedule would raise operating costs by about $186,400 per year, while the state-provided 1% teacher salary increase would only partially offset additional expenses. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. Check back for more updates
