Fairfield school district voters reject middle school bond

It’s back to the drawing board for the Fairfield Community School District’s effort to build a new middle school.

The district’s voters rejected a $34 million general obligation bond to build a new middle school, add air conditioning to the Fairfield High School gymnasium and relocate the tennis courts south of the middle school that would be displaced by the new building.

The bond would have raised the school district’s property tax levy from $11.82 per $1,000 of assessed value to $13.33.

The vote total was 692 (49 percent) for approving the bond and 721 votes (51 percent) against the bond. The proposal needed 848 votes, 60% of the votes cast, to pass.

“I know we will continue to do our best to maintain all of our facilities and keep our students and staff safe,” Fairfield Superintendent Laurie Noll said. “We will continue to fix things that we know need to be fixed.”

Broken down by precinct, the votes were:

• Fairfield — 446 (53.2 percent) yes, 392 (46.8 percent) no.

• Libertyville — 39 (32.5 percent) yes, 81 (67.5 percent) no.

• Lockridge — 35 (25 percent) yes, 105 (75 percent) no.

• Pleasant Plain — 12 (21 percent) yes, 44 (79 percent) no.

• Absentee — 160 (61.8 percent) yes, 99 (38.2 percent) no.

Noll said that the district has a year to bring a revised plan back to the district’s voters.

“Our groups will continue to meet to see what we can put together,” she said.