Aug. 30 school bond fails, for second time

BONNERS FERRY — For the second time, the Boundary County School District bond for a new Valley View Elementary and improvements across the district has failed to get the two-thirds majority of votes needed to pass.

There were 1,422 "yes" votes, or 40.94%, while 2,051 voted "no," or 59.06%. A total of 3,473 votes were cast, with 47% voter turnout. At the cutoff of registration, 7,338 Boundary County residents were registered to vote.

For absentee voters, 510 voted “yes,” or 62.65% and 310 voted “no” or 37.35%.

At the March election, a total of 1,158 people voted “yes,” or 53.79%; and 995, or 46.21%, voted “no.” In March there were 7,227 registered voters in Boundary County. That is a 2,315-voter increase from the March election.

Since the March election, BCSD officials had an independent company conduct a survey to see what voters would support. BCSD adjusted according to the data from the survey and removed repairs to athletic features and other improvements that ran as part of the March bond. In addition, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Federal Funding were used for improvements at Mt. Hall and Naples Elementary schools over the summer.

The school district can run the bond again. In the past the board of trustees has requested recommendations by the facilities committee before doing so.

As of September, the Bonners Ferry High School bond will have dropped off and taxes will reflect that.

“Our teachers, support staff and administrators will be ready to greet students with smiles on Tuesday,” BCSD Superintendent Jan Bayer told the Herald. “The election results are disheartening. We will continue to teach our students and will go back to the drawing board.”