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FMS bond vote comes up short
District vows to renovate middle school with money from other funds
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD - The Fairfield Community School District’s effort to pass a bond for a new middle school has come up short once again.
Voters in the district went to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 4 to decide whether to pass a $39.5 million general obligation bond to build a new middle school south of the current building. The “yes” side received about 56 percent of the vote, but needed to get over 60 percent to pass.
The unofficial tally released by the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office Tuesday night showed 2,029 “yes” votes to 1,604 “no” votes. The election results do not become official until canvased by the Board of Supervisors.
The 56 percent approval this year’s attempt received is slightly lower than a similar bond for a new middle school on the ballot last year, which received 58 percent of the vote.
Fairfield School Board President Meghan Dowd Robbins said she and the board were disappointed the bond vote didn’t pass, since they believed it was the best use of taxpayer dollars to address “critical facility needs.”
“That said, we respect the outcome and remain committed to ensuring students have a safe, high-quality learning environment,” she said. “Our next steps will include developing a strategy to undertake the renovations that will be possible using SAVE and PPEL funds.”
Fairfield Superintendent Zach Wigle said the district is wasting no time in turning the page and trying to address the problems at the middle school, now armed with the knowledge it will have to do so without a bond. He said a group will meet on Nov. 17 to discuss the next steps, which like Dowd Robbins said, will include using the district’s SAVE bonding capacity to fund renovations the board approved last year.
In a questionnaire published before Tuesday’s elections, Wigle said the district sought a new middle school because of the growing cost of repairing the existing building, and that one assessment identified more than $40 million worth of deficiencies. This included constant water infiltration from poor drainage, leaky walls and windows, and classrooms that are too small for current standards.
On Monday, some voters in the district received a text message from a group called Jefferson County Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility and Lower Property Taxes, which urged them to vote against the bond.
“With Fairfield Middle School enrollment down by 16 percent from 10 years ago, it is irresponsible to saddle property tax payers with more debt for 20 years,” the message read. “Let’s renovate and repair our existing middle school, not replace it with an expensive new one.”
The school district also saw three candidates run for three spots on the school board, meaning it was not technically a contested race. Mark Porter won reelection, and Cody Freeman and Terry Wells were also selected to join the board. Board members Deborah Williamson and Tai Ward will be stepping down from the board.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
