Voters living within the bounds of the Waverly school district appeared certain to reject what would have been the largest bond issue in school history on Tuesday during the primary election.
As of 10:25 p.m. Tuesday night, the measure faced a steep uphill battle, with opposition votes coming in at a margin of more than 2-to-1. A majority of District 145 is located within Lancaster County, with small portions extending into Cass, Saunders and Otoe counties.
Final official voting results were not available by the time of publication.
However, in a 9:30 p.m. phone call with the Journal Star, Superintendent Cory Worrell said he was still optimistic.
People are also reading…
“We're still waiting to see all the rest of the votes come in, but we're still encouraged,†he said.
The bond capped at $89.9 million would touch all five schools in the district and impact nearly every educational area offered.
The money would be used to update outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, improve safety and security by creating more secure entrances and expand program space to help solve current capacity issues, specifically for career and technical education classes.
The bond issue also would help expand spaces for family consumer science classes, physical education, the arts, cafeterias, the e-sports program and the high school auditorium.
In total, $52.8 million of the bond money would be used on updates at the high school, $7.6 million at the middle school, $3.57 million at Waverly Intermediate School, $10.8 million at Eagle Elementary, $9.52 million at Hamlow Elementary and $2.72 million would be used for districtwide technology improvements.
With the bond, homeowners and property taxpayers would have a net tax levy of 12.8 cents per $100,000 of valuation. That means that if someone’s property valuation was $100,000, they would pay $128 each year and $10.67 a month for the school bond. For ag land, the bond would cost $4.73 per acre for irrigated land, $3.64 per acre for non-irrigated land and $1.94 per acre for grassland.
If the bond fails, Worrell said the district would continue efforts to find solutions to its highest priorities and needs, whether that is through another bond issue or not.
“Those needs are still going to be there within our district,†he said. “We'll just take the next couple of months to regroup, and try to get feedback and listen to our community members to determine what our next path will be moving forward.â€
The Journal Star's complete coverage of Nebraska's 2024 primary election
Here's the Journal Star's complete coverage of Nebraska's 2024 primary election.
Election results in Nebraska's 2024 primary election have begun rolling in. Follow along for live updates.
The second batch of Election Day results helped Sen. Carolyn Bosn grow her lead over challenger Nicki Behmer Popp in the race for District 25.
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts and Reps. Mike Flood and Adrian Smith won their GOP primaries and advance to the November general election.Â
Kerry Eddy, who joined the Legal Marijuana NOW Party and sought its U.S. Senate nomination in an effort to boost Dan Osborn's run for Senate, …
The Waverly bond issue was failing by more than a 2-1 margin as of 10:25 p.m. Tuesday night.
Primary voters narrowed the field Tuesday in two races for the Nebraska State Board of Education, although the final outcome wasn't entirely d…
If Tuesday’s primary results are any indication, Nebraskans appear ready for another Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump race for the White House.
Incumbent Rep. Don Bacon held off populist challenger Dan Frei in the Republican primary for Nebraska’s 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of…
Voters reported minimal issues with Nebraska's new voter ID requirements in the first election since the new law took effect.