Natrona County School District Bond Issue Fails [UPDATE]
UPDATE 9:59 p.m. Tuesday - Natrona County School District Board of Trustees chairperson Dave Applegate issued a statement in regard to the failure the bond issue late Tuesday night. The full text of the statement is below.
We are pleased with your conscious effort to get to the polls and vote today. It means a great deal to us and the students of this community.
We are dedicated to providing the most engaging learning environments possible. Our children deserve to be fully prepared for a successful future and that preparation begins right here in our school system.
We have heard clearly from the community on the bond project. It means we have more work to do in terms of listening, understanding and delivering on the community’s expectations for public education. We are eager to review the proposal with voters and make adjustments.
- Chairman Dave Applegate
UPDATE 8:35 p.m. Tuesday - All 46 precincts have reported. Against has 4,991 votes (51.97 percent), for has 4,613 votes (48.03 percent). The issue has been defeated.
ORIGINAL STORY - Voters in Natrona County on Tuesday will decide the fate of the Natrona County School District’s $33 million bond issue.
If approved, the funds will be put toward the purchase of academy-grade equipment, safety improvements, the construction of a new science and technology center, and the construction and renovation of swimming pools at Kelly Walsh High School, Natrona County High School and Midwest School.
The items are considered enhancements and cannot be funded with state education money.
If voters approve the bond, residential property owners can expect an annual tax burden of $21.72 per $100,000 of a home’s actual market value based on current valuations.
Anthony Pollreisz and Kevin Koile contributed to this story.