Multimillion dollar bond issues passed in two southwest Iowa school districts in Tuesday’s special elections, winning voter approval in both Red Oak and Griswold.
Unofficial results from the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office show the $19.9 million bond issue for renovations to Red Oak High School, Washington Elementary School and Inman Primary School passing with 76.69% of the vote — well beyond the necessary 60% supermajority.
The referendum’s passage clears the way for the district to reduce the number of campuses from four to three. Red Oak Middle School would close under the district’s proposal. Voters in the Griswold School District Tuesday approved a $9.9 million bond issue for construction of an elementary addition onto Griswold’s middle school/high school complex, plus renovations throughout the facilities.
The bond issue received more than 62% of the vote. Supporters pushed for the referendum in order to close elementary schools in Elliott and Lewis, and consolidate all elementary students in Griswold. School officials sought the change in order to save money on facilities and staffing costs.
(By Mike Peterson, KMA, Shenandoah)
Battle Creek-Ida Grove merger with Odebolt-Arthur approved.
The third time is a charm for a Tuesday’s vote to merge the Battle Creek-Ida Grove school district with Odebolt-Arthur.
The two school districts had been in a whole grade sharing agreement for eight years. Twice before, voters had voted down the proposed consolidation of the two school districts. In the two previous votes, the merger of the school districts was approved in the Battle Creek-Ida Grove school district, but failed in the Odebolt-Arthur school district.
The school with the whole grade sharing had been referred to as OA-BCIG. This time the vote count was 540 in favor from Battle Creek and Ida Grove with 70 voters opposed to the school district merger. Odebolt-Arthur voters approved the measure this time around with a vote of 418 yes votes, and 163 no votes.
(By Dennis Morrice, KLEM, Le Mars)