A $66 million school bond measure has not made it past voters in Crook County. Roughly 51% of voters opposed Measure 7-81, which would have made some long-awaited improvements to Crook County schools.
Out of 7,430 votes, 48.63% voted in favor of the bond measure and 51.37% voted against it.
Crook County School District superintendent Dr. Sara Johnson says the bond would have provided upgrades to multiple aging school buildings.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to pass one soon,” Johnson said. “There comes a point when you really just need to invest some money in those and replace roofs, replace boilers.”
Johnson says if passed, those basic needs would have been fulfilled plus some that would “just be nice to have.”
“Expanded CTE space, some lighting on our soccer fields,” Johnson said. “And a remodel of our ancient old stadium.”
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Security improvements would have also been a priority.
“Camera system needs to be updated and some of it will go towards that,” Johnson said. “We have some spaces around the schools where there’s not lighting and so we need to get some of that upgraded.”
Measure 7-81 would add a 10-cent tax per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Johnson says she was hopeful the bond measure would pass, but realizes it is not an exciting ask for voters.
“We are up against a difficult twist in the economy right now and just the impact of the things happening in the world have people on edge,” Johnson said. “The timing, it just didn’t work out.”
Regardless, many of these upgrades will have to be made eventually.
“We reach out for help when it’s time to ask for something,” Johnson said. “I’m sure the school district will need to go back to the community at some point.”
Johnson says these projects will likely get bigger and more expensive the longer they are put on hold.
