HATTON, N.D. — Voters in the Hatton School District resoundingly approved a bond referendum to build a $6.3 million addition to the school in a special election Tuesday.
Unofficial vote totals are 349 in favor and 36 opposed, meaning the measure passed with 90.6 percent of the vote, said Superintendent Kevin Rogers.
Voters also approved raising the school district's debt limit from 5 to 10 percent of assessed value of the taxable property in the district, to allow the district to take on enough debt to fund the project.
A total of 336 voters were in favor of increasing the debt limit, while 48 voters were not, making for a pass rate of 87.5 percent, Rogers said.
Both measures had to be approved in order for the project to move forward--the building addition by at least 60 percent, plus one vote, and raising the debt limit by 50 percent, plus one vote, he said.
Rogers credited the favorable voter response to "a lot of hard work by our building committee, number one," he said. "They put in several hours towards the project, which helped out tremendously. They were the driving force behind it.
"And I just think our community realized that it was time to update our facilities, and they were very supportive."
The election "sends a message that our community is committed to providing a very inviting learning environment, learning facility for our kids," he said, "and that our community is fairly aggressive in wanting to attract new families and students to our district, and realized we needed to upgrade our facilities to get that to happen hopefully."
The new single-story, 24,000-square-foot addition will house mostly high school classes, Rogers said.
It will include a second gymnasium, cafeteria and kitchen area; four classrooms; a community fitness center; music room, and office suite, as well as a fire sprinkler system and an electronic security system to monitor each exterior entrance.
A part of the Hatton Eielson School is an original structure built in 1908, and another part was built in 1934. Voters approved an addition in 1964 and a $1 million addition that was constructed in 1995.
The need for a new addition came to a head after a five-member team visited the school in April as part of the state's school improvement process, Rogers said.
The team's report highlighted "the need to get students into more up-to-date buildings," he said.
The older parts of the school, especially, have been plagued with problems related to "mechanical, electrical and the whole HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system," Rogers said.
Heating and cooling is an issue, along with physical access and safety problems, he said.
Wood has been used in the construction of large portions of the older structures.
The quality of education for the school's 178 students is compromised by clanking pipes and the inability to properly regulate room temperatures, Rogers said.
Efforts to inform voters in the district about the need for a new addition may have helped to achieve a favorable election outcome. Informational flyers were distributed and kiosks were placed around town, and letters were sent to patrons' homes.
Rogers gave several presentations to local groups, including the men's club and residents at the retirement home.
The plan is to break ground in May or June and complete the building project by fall 2019.
The two oldest structures within the school complex would be razed after the new addition is completed, Rogers said. Together, those structures constitute 45 percent of the school.
Election results are expected to be certified as official at a Hatton School Board meeting on Monday, he said.
