D93 bond fails, other levies pass
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IDAHO FALLS — A $56.1 million school bond proposal failed by less than 1 percent Tuesday in Bonneville Joint School District 93.
The measure received 4,829 votes in favor of the bond, which accounted for some 65.72 percent of the total. To pass, the bond needed a 66 percent supermajority vote.
“I feel good about the results,” Superintendent Chuck Shackett said. “I mean obviously we didn’t win, but it was very close and we got 2,100 more yes votes than last year.”
This is the second time in recent memory that D93 has failed to pass a bond. Last year, the district attempted a $92 million school bond to build a new high school and middle school. That plan was overwhelmingly defeated by voters in March 2014.
The latest bond attempt was scaled back to a 1,500 student high school without a stadium or performing arts center.
Both bond requests were initiated in response to increasing overcrowding within the district’s high schools.
There has been significant opposition to the bond requests from citizens groups opposed to the hike in property taxes that would be caused by increased bond debt.
But, Shackett said opposition to the proposal has greatly lessened since last year as the district has worked with its own citizen committees. The district plans to resubmit the same proposal in May. The hope to open the proposed school in fall 2018.
“We aren’t going to go out and change this because this is what the community wants,” Shackett said. “But we will have to go out and be more diligent in having more one-on-one conversations with (patrons) in the district and do a better job communicating.”
Other Eastern Idaho Levies and Bonds
Several eastern Idaho school districts also renewed supplemental levies Tuesday.
Patrons in Idaho Falls School District 91 overwhelmingly approved a 2-year $6.8 million levy with 82 percent of voters in favor of the measure.
District 91 has had a supplemental levy for more than 30 years, and officials have kept the rate at $6.8 million since 2003.
Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 passed a 2-year $9.25 million levy with 3130 votes in favor and 1675 against.
Additionally, Fremont Joint School District 215 passed a $1.5 million levy, Teton School District 401 passed a $3.1 million levy, Blackfoot School District 55 approved a $2.6 million measure and Clark County School District passed a $250,000 levy.
Each of the aforementioned levies have 2-year terms.
This article first appeared at Idaho Education News. It is used here with permission.