Whitefish voters are reminded to drop their ballots into the mail for the $26.5 million bond issue for Muldown Elementary.

Ballots may be mailed or hand delivered and are due in the district office by Oct. 3. The district office is located at 600 E. Second St. Ballots were mailed out Sept. 15 to about 9,500 registered voters.

If approved, taxpayers who own a home with a taxable value of $200,000 can expect taxes to increase by $130.

If the bond passes it will be used to build a new elementary school to replace the existing building, which is experiencing structural issues specifically with roofing and heating, according to school officials. Muldown was originally built in 1966 with the last major addition completed in the 1990s.

Planners also looked at improving building functionality and security along with providing room to grow. The proposed new elementary school would accommodate up to 756 kindergarten through fourth-grade students. Currently, enrollment is around 700 students.

Additionally, money would be used to retain portions of Muldown for later repurposing.

The goal is to open a new elementary by the fall of 2020.

If the bond fails, the district will go back to the drawing board in requesting another bond issue.

For more information call 406-862-8640 or visit www.wsd44.org.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.