Voters to decide on Indian Hills bond vote

Voters in Indian Hills Community College’s region will be able to vote on the school’s proposed $28 million bond on Nov. 2.

The college announced earlier this year that it wants to make five major improvements to its campuses, three at its Ottumwa branch, one at its Centerville campus and one pertaining to virtual learning accessibility.

The three expansions the college hopes to do at its Ottumwa site include renovating the fire arts wing of its Arts and Science center, expanding the Tom Arnold Net Center, and building a new criminal justice training center. In Centerville, the college hopes to build a large academic building to expand enrollment in nursing, welding, and commercial driving, among other subjects.

The planned improvements to virtual learning would allow high school students to take more Indian Hills classes through concurrent enrollment (being enrolled in high school and college simultaneously).

To pass, the bond must receive 60 percent of the votes. The college last attempted a bond measure in 2016, when it put forward a bond of $36 million. In that election, 56 percent of the votes went against the measure, so it failed.

Voters who in live in the following school districts will be able to vote on the measure: Fairfield, Pekin, Cardinal, Van Buren County, Keota, Sigourney, Albia, Centerville, Chariton, Davis County, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Moravia, Moulton-Udell, North Mahaska, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Seymour and Wayne.