Royal City rejects bonds

ROYAL CITY — Royal City voters narrowly rejected a $12.4 million bonds proposal to fund several improvement projects within the school district.

About 51 percent of voters opposed the proposal.

The number of “no” votes was 372 and the number of “yes” votes was 357, according to a preliminary count.

“It doesn’t look like right now that it’s going to pass,” District Superintendent Rose Search said.

The bonds committee is going to meet and find out why the proposal failed, she added. Then the committee will decide whether to bring another bonds proposal to voters.

“It’s a little disheartening, but we’ll go back to the drawing board and see what we’re going to do,” Search said.

The proposed collection rate was $2.21 per $1,000 of assessed property value, 10 cents less than the district originally anticipated.

With funding from the sale of voter-approved bonds, the district hoped to start a fourth, fifth and sixth grade school.

Ten new classrooms would have been constructed with bonds funding. A gym, library and office area was to be included in the building.

The cafeteria would have been expanded to function as a dual-purpose cafeteria, with a stage for performances.

A new foyer, concessions stand and bathroom expansion was planned for the gym.

At the high school, the music room would have been converted into a computer lab and self-contained special education classroom.

A larger classroom at the middle school, previously used for sixth grade, was going to be converted into a computer lab and information technology office.

In addition, the district planned to build a new district office and a new stall at the district’s bus garage.