School districts in our region will get new facilities thank to voters in Tuesday’s election.
Voters in the Winston R-VI school district barely approved funding for a new school to replace their current building, which is nearly a century old. The vote was 185-to-180.
The levy will increase $1.24 per $100 of assessed valuation. School district officials moved forward with the ballot question after a Winston Community Capital Projects Improvement Committee assessed the need. The committee cited a community-wide survey, in which respondents noted a strong desire to make capital improvements for the long term.
Among the improvements to be included in the new school will be secured entrances. Visitors will be required to check in at the office through secured doors. The facility will be handicapped accessible, and will include new energy efficient windows, heating, air conditioning. The facility will house students from pre-school through 12th grade, so preschoolers will no longer be required to walk across the school parking lot several times a day.
In the Chillicothe R-II school district, voters gave a green light to a new $14.55 million levy increase to pay for a number of school projects, including a new school for students in preschool through first grade. The ballot question passed by a 63% to 37% margin according to unofficial election results.
In Nodaway County, voters gave the go-ahead for a second gym at the Jefferson C-123 school. It was the 7th time the issue has been put forward to voters. This time they said yes to the $1.5 million general obligation bond issue by the needed 4/7 super majority. The final vote tally was 216 to 153 according to unofficial results from the Nodaway County Clerk’s Office.
School district officials will keep the old gym at the school in Conception Junction to keep options open for athletic events and school plays. Officials hope to finish construction of the new facility in about ten months, but do not anticipate opening it until after the end of the 2016-2017 school year.