BOND
REFERENDUM
A BRIGHT FUTURE IN THE VETERANS DISTRICT
Knoxville is a growing and thriving community that remains a destination for families, businesses, and visitors in our region.
Nowhere is the momentum and revitalization more evident than in the Veterans District, which has quickly become a vibrant area that reflects a shared local commitment to development and to creating new spaces where people and businesses can thrive.
While steps have been taken in recent years to improve our schools and facilities at KCSD, many challenges remain at one of our oldest campuses: Northstar Elementary.
We are embarking on a journey that has the potential to provide our young learners with an exceptional educational environment and help fulfill the vision and potential of the Veterans District.
Our mission is to help Knoxville students become confident, high-achieving individuals prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. A modern elementary school will ensure a culture of excellence by creating spaces where students can collaborate, solve problems, and develop skills for success. Placing a new school in the Veterans District will help fulfill its vision of being a multi-generational hub for education, recreation, residential, and business in our community.
A new school in the Veterans District has the potential to generate about $63 million in economic activity during construction and support approximately 168 construction-related jobs. The school would help absorb and market 50+ new residential lots in this district, which would support at least $15 million in new housing valuation based on an average home value of $300,000. These factors would increase long-term property tax revenues through residential growth, and unlock redevelopment opportunities as the former Northstar Elementary campus.
This is not simply about a building—it is about ensuring a culture of excellence for generations to come and serving as a lasting symbol of Knoxville’s commitment to growth and opportunity. This is an opportunity to invest in the students who will shape Knoxville's future and use a new school as a community growth infrastructure investment.
CHALLENGES AT NORTHSTAR
At the Knoxville Community School District, we strive to provide every student with an exceptional learning environment that has the resources they need to fulfill their potential and pursue their highest aspirations.
We have followed a Strategic Plan as a roadmap for improvements to our facilities that help make the Knoxville community an even better place to call home. The list of facility upgrades completed in recent years includes:
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Building a new middle school
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Improving and expanding West Elementary
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Updating security and mechanical systems at Knoxville High School
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Renovating Randy Wilson Track
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Upgrading the baseball and softball complex
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Constructing new tennis courts
The next major project in our Strategic Plan is addressing the facility challenges our students and staff face every day at Northstar Elementary.
Northstar Elementary first welcomed students in 1960. In the decades since, the school has proudly served the community and undergone expansions and updates to become the 45,000 square-foot building we know today.
In 2024, district officials tasked Boyd Jones Construction with conducting a comprehensive facility assessment to determine the best course of action to address the challenges at Northstar. More than $22.5 million in deficiencies were identified as necessary for the school to meet current code requirements, including several that require repair within the next 1-5 years.
An advisory task force that included community members was organized by the district to study the issues at Northstar. This group met multiple times throughout the spring and examined three options for the aging elementary school.
The first option was simply addressing the highest-priority needs at Northstar. The second option was a full-scale renovation of the school, with an addition that includes a gymnasium and classrooms.
The task force ultimately favored a third option: Sell the Northstar building and construct a new elementary school on undeveloped property in Knoxville’s Veterans District, at an estimated cost of $34 million.
OUR PROPOSAL
On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, voters who reside in the Knoxville Community School District will consider approving a $15.3 million general obligation bond referendum.
If the question on the ballot receives supermajority support of at least 60%, these funds will be used to construct a new school in the Veterans District to replace Northstar Elementary.
The proposed location of the new school would provide closer proximity and easier access to other KCSD facilities, community parks, athletic fields, and new housing developments.
The target size for the new school will be approximately 73,000 square feet. The school would also feature a new gymnasium designed to provide community access outside of school hours and to accommodate youth events, tournaments, and more.
The transition to a new elementary school would also free up space at West Elementary for preschool students, allowing the district to eliminate the need to use portable buildings for our youngest learners in the future.
Northstar Elementary would not be demolished under this proposal, allowing it to be sold and continue serving the Knoxville community in a new manner. Among the redevelopment options are senior housing or multi-family housing. These changes would allow the school to add taxable value in Knoxville compared to a public building that currently pays none, while addressing a need for more housing units.
NO TAX RATE INCREASE
A priority for the School Board and administration at KCSD is being fiscally responsible for our taxpayers.
An approved bond referendum on November 3 will not raise property tax rates for the district. Instead, we will maintain the existing debt service levy of $3.65 per $1,000 of taxable property value.
