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District officials must now find another way alleviate overcrowded buildings.
The first bond question would have generated over $3 million for a 17,800-foot addition on the south side of the district’s Intermediate School. That measure was defeated by a 354 vote margin, 1,243 to 889. A second ballot question that would have raised an additional $1 million failed because it was contingent on the first question passing.
Program additions and a smaller-than-projected decline in enrollment has caused overcrowding, district Superintendent Bruce Montplaisir said. The district may now consider using the basement of its elementary school for classes and leasing portable temporary classrooms.
The temporary space will likely be funded through a lease levy, which residents don’t vote on and will not save the district significant money, Montplaisir said.
“We need the space,” he said. “When we started looking at the costs to set up (temporary classrooms), and the lease costs, we said, ‘Let’s give people a chance to put up a building instead of portable classroom.’”
Montplaisir said he was not surprised the bonding measures failed because of the economic downturn and the impending move of Winona’s Hope Lutheran High School to the Lewiston area, which may draw students away from the public school district.
— By Nolan Rosenkrans
