State will take charge of building new elementary

Voters in the Plummer-Worley School District on Tuesday rejected an $11.3 million bond measure to build a new elementary school.

It's the fourth time taxpayers have failed to approve a multi-million dollar bond to build a new school in Plummer to replace the old Lakeside Elementary building on Highway 95 in Worley.

In the election, 66.6 percent voter approval was required for passage. There were 381 votes in favor of the bond and 375 against.

But there will still be a new school built in Plummer with a loan from the state, through the Safe Public School Cooperative Funding Program.

"I was glad over 50 percent of those voting are solidly behind the construction of a new elementary building," said Superintendent Judi Sharett. "I know this is a hard time economically for people, however, we need for this generation of students to be in a safe environment conducive to learning, and I'm happy to say this will occur."

What taxpayers lost by failing to approve the bond was local control of the project.

A supervisor will be assigned by the state.

District property owners will be charged a tax assessment by the state to repay the loan over a 20-year period.

The law requires a state supervisor be assigned to the project within 35 days of the State Board of Education's receipt of certification of the bond failure.