St. Joseph Public Schools is launching a series of community “coffee chats” this fall to provide residents with information about its $59.9 million bond proposal, which will appear on the November 2025 ballot.

Superintendent Kristen Bawks said the informal gatherings are designed to answer questions and explain the district’s priorities for the bond, which carries no increase to the current 3.7 mill tax rate. Schedules for the sessions are available at sjpsfuture.org and will also be posted on the district’s main website.

The proposal follows a failed $98.5 million measure in May 2024. After that vote, the district gathered extensive public feedback and used it to reshape the plan. Community members urged the district to scale back the scope, remove an early childhood center, and focus o

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