In Douglas County, leaders of the Oakland School District are reeling after voters rejected their request for more funding.
The school bond measure would have raised $6 million through a property tax, matched by a $4 million state grant. It would have supported new school safety features and upgrades to the softball field.
The majority of the funding, around $6.5 million, would have paid for a new middle school gym. Educators say the current facility had its bathrooms condemned last school year, and student athletes are now forced to use porta-potties.
However, 55% of voters rejected the measure in a special election this month. Now, officials say they're not sure what to do next.
“It's hard to fathom a little bit because our community is so supportive of our school,” said district superintendent Jeff Clark. “Our school really is a centerpiece of our community. “
Clark said the Oakland community is struggling with inflation and gas prices, and there is distrust of government institutions. A previous school bond measure for $16 million failed in 2018.
However, Clark said he was hopeful voters would respond to this proposal's smaller price tag. And he said the district held walkthroughs of the gym to demonstrate its condition.
“The problems with our 110 year-old building are not going away,” he said. "They're just going to continue to get worse. At some point, we're not going to be able to use it anymore, and then we really are in trouble.”
Clark said there is little state funding for capital improvements, and with building costs rising due to inflation, he believes it will be even harder to pass this bond in the future.
“It's kind of a vicious cycle that we're caught in,” he said. “We're gonna put our heads together and try and find the best path forward to serve our kids.”
