A $30 million Wagoner Public Schools, Okla., bond issue, which included a new elementary school, failed to get enough votes to pass during Tuesday's election.
Meanwhile, Fort Gibson voters overwhelmingly passed two bond issues funding new buses and school building/technology upgrades.
School bond issues need a 60 percent "yes" vote to pass.
Wagoner sought a $30 million bond issue to pay for a new elementary school, an addition to Ellington Elementary and new football bleachers. It would have raised the ad valorem tax rate by 15 percent.
In unofficial results, the proposition received 634 yes votes, or 50.32 percent, to 626 no votes, or 49.68 percent.
Wagoner Superintendent Randy Harris said he was disappointed in the results. He said the amount of the bond issue might have been too high for some voters.
"A lot of people were saying they felt like we needed a new school, but didn't want an increase in taxes," Harris said. "We will reconvene and regroup and try to figure out a way to accomplish what we want to accomplish. It may take a little more time and a lot less money initially. We'll try to do it in smaller bites, I might say."
ort Gibson's Proposition 1 was a $5.57 million bond issue to fund various projects, including districtwide technology upgrades, a classroom/barn addition to the ag building, a relocated bus barn and remodeling the administration building. It passed with 393 votes, or 88.31 percent. Against the proposition were 52 votes, or 11.69 percent.
The second proposition called for $926,000 for new route buses and activity buses. It passed with 397 votes, or 88.8 percent with 50 votes against the proposition, or 11.19 percent.
Fort Gibson Superintendent Derald Glover said he is appreciative and proud of the community's support.
He said the next step is to prioritize projects.
"We've got such a variety, and we want to start on them as soon as we can," Glover said. "We don't get the money until June, so we'll start rolling out on some of the projects in July."
He said new buses should be rolling by the start of the 2019 school year.
The administration building's entrance faces the high school/middle school cafeteria. The remodeling moves the entrance to the opposite side of the building and reconfigures traffic and parking to that side. School officials said the reconfiguration would ease traffic when students are outside.
