Southland, LeRoy-Ostrander districts see large voter turnout for key items
Published 8:50 am Wednesday, November 7, 2018
- Southland Elementary students walk down the hallway on the first day of school this September in Rose Creek. Herald file photo
Updated 8:50 a.m.: The Southland School District passed its referendum with 60.98 percent of the votes saying yes and 39.02 percent of the vote that said no.
Contingent on question one’s passage, question two also passed with 55.30 percent of the vote.
LeRoy-Ostrander Schools District also passed its operating levy by a narrow margin, with 50.11 percent voting yes, and 49.89 percent voting no.
From the future of the community pool to the future of when Southland Elementary School would close, voters from the Southland and LeRoy-Ostrander Districts turned out in large numbers to make their voices heard on Tuesday night.
Voter turnout for Southland School and L-O districts was “large,” according to Superintendent Jeff Sampson, noting that he felt that the taxpayers were more informed about the bond referendum and felt confident in the efforts made by the district and school board to get the voters to the polls.
“I guess all I can hope for is that the people went out and voted,” Sampson said. “The results will speak for themselves. The numbers validate the vote, if it passes and if it fails, it is what it is. I’m just happy for the large turnout.”
Southland
Tuesday’s vote on the bond referendum raised two questions: the first that pertained to a $15.8 million renovation that would help accommodate Southland Elementary students once the building closes and help them transition into the middle and high school building in Adams, according to a previous story. This would address security upgrades and HVAC systems.
The second question was contingent on the passage of question one, which looked into whether Southland would be able to have a $2.4 million new additional gymnasium that provides more space for physical education and accommodate more students coming from the elementary school and help with potential spacing issues down the road with the influx.
The closing date for Southland Elementary School was determined by the passage of the referendum. If votes failed to pass the referendum, then the district would have had to make due with basic renovations to the middle and high school media center for tight learning spaces and close at the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Declining student enrollment and declining state funds contributed to the district making the decision to shut down Southland Elementary School and consolidating campuses together into one centralized building.
LeRoy-Ostrander
Another key item that was being watched during elections was the operating levy that would help keep the LeRoy Community Pool afloat.
When donations weren’t reaching previous amounts, the pool fell short on operating funds. The LeRoy-Ostrander School could not make up operating expenses without either cutting what it currently has for operations to make the pool fit, or go out for an operating levy to raise more dollars, according to Sampson, who is also the L-O superintendent.
Tuesday’s ballot asked L-O voters to approve a $494 per pupil increase to its operating levy, and the dollars raised to continue to operate the pool and provide maintenance for it.
“Voters were well informed, and in my mind, we answered all the questions that were asked,” Sampson said. “The school board and district did a good job putting it out in many ways we could.”
