North Callaway school board members hope they've figured out what the voters want. In 2006, it proposed a $7 million bond that would have added a junior high system. It failed twice. Then a facility improvement commission spent 18 months mulling recommendations for the school system.

That resulted in a proposed $8.2 million bond that would have added classrooms to elementary schools. That proposal failed in April this year by 30 votes.

This time the kindergarten through 8 or junior high issue isn't on the ballot.

Danny Stubblefield supports the basketball program and the school bond. It's not so bad now that it's November, but imagine how hot it was a few months ago.

"Air conditioning is what sticks out primarily." said Stubblefield. "There's too many days in the summer where - or not in the summer, in the early fall that we're off due to heat."

On Tuesday, Callaway voters will decide on a $2.5 million bond proposal. School board members went line-by-line to scale back the bond proposal.

"From the talk we heard in April, just the economic conditions, people felt that was too much money to spend and too much burden on the taxpayers with the economic conditions the way they were," said school board president Dennis Zerr.

"We felt like the 2.5 is things we have to do," said school board member Dan McMurtry. "We have to do this regardless of whether the bond issue passes. Several things - for example, here at Hatton, we need to rip out the main hallway in the school to replace the sewer line."

At Auxvasse Elementary proposed improvements included plumbing, security, drainage and alarms would be fixed for total cost of $117,332. Among the improvements at Hatton Elementary, the school would see repaired plumbing and sewers and improved drainage for $121,469. Williamsburg Elementary would get repairs to it gym wall, roof, and drainage problems and other repairs for $224,600.

Improvements at the school would include a new fire alarm, new lockers in the locker rooms, and improved plumbing for $252,082. Throughout the district, the schools would receive air conditioning and improved air quality for $1.2 million.

The cost of the general obligation bond would require an increase of 7 cents per $100 of assessed property value. For example, a $100,000 residence would see a $13 annual increase.

School board officials say they don't have enough money in the operating budget to take care of the maintenance issues facing the schools.

They've proposed the bond again in order to take advantage of state programs that would grant the district zero percent interest and could use federal stimulus money to save $400,000.