Grand Meadow voters approved a $3 million bond referendum Tuesday to build a new gymnasium. The gym will help give the district more space during the school day. The bond is accelerated to be paid off in seven years, rather than the standard 15- to 20-year capital bond project.

The vote was 493-299 in favor of the project (62.25 percent to 37.75 percent).

District voters turned down a $13.7 million referendum this past March that would have allowed the school to build a new gym as well as more classrooms.

Grand Meadow plans to build the new gym for about $6 million, but taxpayers will only help with $3 million. In late spring, early summer of 2014, anonymous local benefactors donated $3 million toward the gymnasium project.

District officials plan to raise money to get additional classrooms at about the same time as the gym. School officials have plans to fundraise some of the money, use money from the district’s reserve funds, look into the Education Foundation for help purchasing items such as desks, technology and cabinets, and using the construction contingency fund. District officials hope to finish the gym in the fall of 2015.

Southland voters say ‘no’ to referendum change

Soutland School District voters said “no” to a referendum to revoke the district’s existing referendum revenue authorization of $738.33 per pupil that is scheduled to expire after taxes payable in 2018 and to replace that authorization with a new authorization of $1,628.21 per pupil, subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation for (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.