Voters living within the bounds of District 145 rejected what would have been the largest bond issue in school history on Tuesday, leaving the district unsure of what will happen next while another school district celebrates its success.
The Waverly bond capped at $89.9 million fell short of approval by a 2-to-1 margin. A majority of District 145 is located within Lancaster County, with small portions extending into Cass, Saunders and Otoe counties.
Superintendent Cory Worrell was disappointed Wednesday morning after a long night of watching votes, but not discouraged, he said.
“We'll recover, we'll recuperate and we'll regroup and figure out what we're gonna do for the future,†he said.
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While Worrell isn’t exactly sure what the future will hold in terms of the bond issue, he said the next priority is to get back into the community to figure out what kept voters from casting their ballots in favor of the measure. From there, the district can make adjustments to the bond issue’s content or price tag, or go an entirely different route.
No matter what steps are taken next, however, Worrell said he will continue efforts to find solutions to the district’s highest priorities and needs, which are still just as important regardless of the election results.
“Our facility issues don't change because the bond issue fails. We're still going to have some of these issues, like HVAC and our safety and security situation. Those all need to improve, and they don't get fixed by failing bond issues,†he said. “We have to figure out how we're going to tackle some of these situations and so that's our challenge now, moving forward into the future. Give it some time and we'll figure out what our next steps are.â€
The proposal would have touched all five schools in the district and impacted nearly every educational area offered. The money would have been used to update outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at several school buildings, improve safety and security by creating more secure entrances and expand program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 have helped expand spaces for family consumer science classes, art rooms, the band room, cafeterias, the e-sports program, the weight room and the high school auditorium.
In total, $52.8 million of the bond money would have been 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 have been used for districtwide technology improvements.
With the bond, homeowners and property taxpayers would have had 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 have paid $128 each year and $10.67 a month for the school bond. For ag land, the bond would have cost $4.73 per acre for irrigated land, $3.64 per acre for non-irrigated land and $1.94 per acre for grassland.
However, Waverly was not the only bond issue on local ballots on Tuesday — and wasn’t the only one to fail, either. Both Conestoga Public Schools and Louisville Public Schools in Cass County attempted to pass bond issues, with Conestoga being the only one to win voters’ approval. Conestoga had a $33 million proposal and Louisville had a $37.2 million measure.
With the funding, Conestoga plans to improve safety and security by adding more secure entrances, ADA-compliant restrooms, improved ventilation and fire sprinkler systems. The school also plans to enhance educational opportunities for students throughout the district by building new additions for more classrooms, renovating the Life Skills classroom for students with disabilities and updating the spaces for both science and career and technical education.
On Wednesday afternoon, Superintendent Michael Apple said he was feeling very relieved and extremely happy for the students, staff and school board at Conestoga.
“These buildings have served the district and taxpayers well, and with the passage of this bond, these enhancements will continue to support our children and staff for years into the future,†he said in an emailed statement.
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.
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