BLAINE - Blaine School District voters have passed a four-year levy for maintenance and operations for the district, but the fate of a $3 million bond request was still undecided, according to an early count Tuesday, Feb. 14.
About 63.4 percent of voters were voting yes for the levy, while 60.3 percent were voting yes for the bond.
The levy needs a simple majority to pass.
"We're thrilled with that result," Superintendent Ron Spanjer said of the levy. "It underscores the support the community has for their schools in Blaine."
The bond needs 40 percent voter turnout from the last general election - or 5,611 ballots cast - and 60 percent approval to pass. As of Tuesday, a total of 3,814 ballots had been counted.
Still, Spanjer said he was pleased with the election night results for the bond, saying the percentage above 60 was a good sign and that the number tends to creep up higher with later votes.
"We are cautiously optimistic on that bond issue," Spanjer said. "We'll be watching those numbers over the next few days and remain optimistic it's going to hold."
It is the third time a bond request has gone before district voters in recent years. It would be used to pay for repairs and improvements, with the biggest chunk going to remodel the high school science building.
The bond measure is significantly less than the $32 million bond request that voters narrowly turned down in April, and the $40 million one they said no to in 2008.
As for the levy, it will replace one expiring at the end of 2012 and bring in a total of $25.2 million through 2016.
If approved, the $3 million bond would pay for:
- remodeling Blaine High School's science building, which has just 40 percent of the lab space the school needs, at an estimated cost of $2.4 million.
- moving the middle school and high school Life Skills programs out of converted locker rooms to their respective campuses, for $235,000.
- retrofitting lighting at the high school to meet federal requirements, for $120,000.
- upgrading heating and ventilation at the middle and elementary schools, for $165,000.
- expanding the security camera system at the elementary and primary school campuses, for $80,000.
The levy is becoming a larger part of the district's operating budget.
It had been about 24 percent.
The new levy will be nearly 30 percent by 2016 as the school district attempts to bridge the gap in state funding with local dollars.
There will be an updated vote count released Wednesday afternoon.
