By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Doniphan County voters gave Riverside United School District 114 officials the authority to raise money for capital improvements through a capital outlay levy.

Riverside was one of only seven of the 286 Kansas school districts that didn’t have a capital outlay mill levy. Instead, the district borrowed to make major purchases. The Kansas State Department of Education prefers districts use a capital outlay levy rather than go into debt.

On Tuesday, 332 voters voted in favor of the issue with only 238 voting against, a 58% margin of approval.

The 3.60 mill levy is expected to raise $3.6 million over the next four years.

The district has the authority to use the entire 3.60 mill levy, but it doesn’t have to. School officials say the school board will evaluate needs on a year-by-year basis.