Mid-Prairie voters deny bond issue

WELLMAN — 1,044 Mid-Prairie school district voters turned out for a bond issue election Tuesday night, ultimately falling just shy the required 60% approval threshold, with ballot measure A (for general obligation bonds) ending at 585-459 and measure B (raising the tax levy) ending at 580-463, both around 56%.

All three counties in the district voted no according to their respective unofficial results, but at varying ranges. Iowa County sternly rebuked both measures in a 9-21 vote, where Washington County was much closer, at 494-376 to raise tax levies, 31 affirmative votes short of 60%. Johnson County was similarly close, with measure B reaching almost 54% approval in a 77-66 showing.

Superintendent Mark Schneider said the results sent things back to the drawing board.

“We got a wide range of input from a diverse group of people and they put together what they felt was best for the district,” he said. “And obviously, this is the way the system works. You bring things before the voters and they have an opportunity to vote either yes or no and in this instance … the majority voted yes but it didn’t get the 60%, and that’s the way the system works.”

The referendum’s defeat throws a wrench in district plans for a number of popular projects, which school board members had hoped would entice voters.

“Let’s say we manage to squeeze everything into this budget, what happens in five or 10 years when we need something, that’s my big concern,” Board Member Jake Snider said at a meeting in November. “There’s nowhere to go if we need more classroom space, which we know we’re going to … so then how do we get that money that would be just maxed out at $2.70? We’d have to go back to them and say, ‘Hey, we don’t have a lot of cool things going on like this package does, but we need to raise taxes.’”

If passed, the referendum would have raised taxes in the school district by 60 cents per $1,000, funds that would’ve paid for several school facilities like an auditorium, new classrooms and parking lot improvements.

The district could conceivably take another pitch to voters later in the year, with the next state-approved election date on Sept. 13.

Whether it manages a bond issue or not, Schneider said the district still had plans to address some of its higher priorities.

“We have some immediate needs,” Schneider said. “Different board members may have different ideas about what those priorities are, so they will have to get together and have a discussion and see if there are at least four school board members that want to move forward on a plan.”

The district has up to $11 million available from sales tax revenue and donations to do so without another election, an option Schneider said he had his eye on.

“I hope we do something with revenue bonds paid by sales tax,” he said. “Obviously we can’t do $37 million worth of construction.”

That echoes rhetoric shared by many on the school board.

“I think you could put them all in one, then if the bond doesn’t pass, you kick it,” school board President Jeremy Pickard said at a meeting last year. “I’m OK putting it on the bond, but write it down: we’re going to commit to doing something for the middle school.”

Despite the failed ballot measure, Schneider said he was happy with the turnout.

“I appreciate everyone that got out and voted,” he said. “That’s the way they system works and we all have to live with the results.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com