Some supporters of a $190 million school bond that failed Tuesday in a Rapid City election are talking about trying again.
The bond plan got 56 percent support from voters, compared to 44 percent for the “no” side.
But the majority didn’t rule. That’s because of a state law. The law says 60 percent support is required to pass a local bond issue.
Christine Stephenson, a Rapid City school board member, struck a determined and optimistic tone despite the setback.
“It’s really disappointing, but like I said I’m so proud of the campaign and I'm really proud of 56 percent,” Stephenson said. “I think that’s awesome.”
And Stephenson wants to come up with another bond plan to offer voters.
“I’m ready to do it again. We’re all ready to do it again,” she said. “Because we don’t have another option.”
Val Simpson, co-chair of the Vote Yes group, also wants to make another attempt.
“Hopefully some of those in the community that were against this particular plan are willing to step up now and be part of the conversation to make tweaks and bring it back to the community again,” Simpson said.
A leader of the Vote No group, Tonchi Weaver, said she is willing to consider a new, more modest plan. She said the plan offered Tuesday was too extravagant.
“I think what happened with this one is the premise of the bond began with the wants and not the needs, and that’s just the wrong approach,” Weaver said.
The plan would’ve replaced and renovated multiple elementary schools, replaced a middle school, and made additions and upgrades to a high school.
In the months leading up to the election, Rapid City school officials said the average age of school buildings in the district is 53 years. They gave tours showing school buildings with long cracks in the walls caused by settling problems, schools that lack modern security features, and schools that use modular buildings called “annexes” to house overflow students, among other problems.
To pay off the bond, property taxes would have increased. On a $250,000 home, for example, property taxes would have gone up by $212.50 per year.
The raw numbers from Tuesday’s election showed 9,287 votes in favor of the bond issue and 7,211 against it. The Pennington County Auditor’s Office said turnout was 23 percent.
The city was socked with about a foot of snow the night before and morning of the election, but nearly 8,000 people had already voted early from Jan. 27 through Monday.
The failed school bond effort came five years after a failed attempt to raise property taxes for the school district by opting out of legal limitations on property-tax increases. That opt-out was rejected 58-42 percent by voters in a June 2015 election.
