Florence-area voters have rejected a bond measure that would’ve funded a new high school for the Siuslaw School District.
The district says the current building has seismic issues, aging electrical infrastructure, and no cafeteria or auditorium.
The $139 million bond measure would have supported the construction of a new facility behind the existing middle school, while adding new classrooms to Siuslaw Elementary.
However, it also would have cost an average property owner in the district around $324 per year.
As of Thursday, just over 63% district voters opposed the measure on this May’s ballot.
Andrew Grzeskowiak, the school district’s superintendent, said he doesn’t think the community is against the idea of remodeling, renovating, or replacing the building. But he said he knew this was a big ask.
“It was just literally too much money for them at this point in time, especially in a town with a senior population that has a lot of people on limited incomes,” he said.
Grzeskowiak said the district asked for the money for a new high school because it would be a better investment than retrofitting the old one.
“If you're spending 70% to remodel compared to the cost of building new, you're chasing bad money,” he said, “and so we try to build something new that's going to last for 75 to 100 years, and take away all those other constraints.”
Grzeskowiak said without this funding, the district will have to redirect more money from its general fund into maintenance, meaning fewer basic materials and supplies for students.
He said voters may see another request for funding in the future, possibly next May.
Ahead of this election, the Siuslaw School District had secured a $6 million state grant conditioned on the bond passing. Grzeskowiak said the district isn’t guaranteed to get that grant next time.
And he said the more time that passes, the more the costs to build continue to rise.
