The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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January 8, 2013

Voters approve school bonds in two districts

Staff reports Enid News & Eagle

ENID, Okla. — Voters in the Covington-Douglas and Burlington school districts approved bond issues Tuesday, while patrons of the Sharon-Mutual district rejected a construction issue.

Covington-Douglas Public Schools patrons handily approved two bond issues.

A $180,000 transportation bond will pay for two new 64-passenger route buses to replace 1997 and 1998 buses.

The issue is a $730,000 building bond. School officials will use the money to replace exterior windows and doors, as well as remodel and rebuild restrooms schoolwide.

The vote on the first proposition was 145-11, or 92.9 percent. The vote on the second was 149-11, or 93.1 percent. The bond issues replace an expiring bond issue and increase property taxes by $5.22 for each $100 in property taxes residents pay.

In Woodward County, Sharon-Mutual Public Schools patrons rejected a $7.92 million bond issue for construction at Sharon-Mutual Elementary School and Sharon-Mutual High School.

The vote on the measure was 147-115 in favor, but the 56.1 percent yes vote fell short of the 60 percent supermajority required of school bond issues.

The measure would have funded construction of six rooms at the elementary school: two computer rooms and four classrooms. Five rooms would have been funded at the high school, two of which would have been computer rooms.

Of the funds, $1 million had been earmarked to furnish the rooms and upgrade technology, including computers. The high school currently does not have a computer lab, and the elementary school only has one.

In Alfalfa County, Burlington Public Schools patrons approved a $1.275 million bond issue for a new band room, new shop for the agriculture education classroom and a new home for the superintendent.

The vote was 112-52, or 68.3 percent, in favor.

The band room would double as a safe room during storms. It would be open to the public, as is the current storm cellar at the school.

Cost is $550,000 for each of the new band rooms and the new shop.

If approved, pre-kindergarten students would be moved to the old band room to be closer where kindergarten, first grade and second grade are now.

The new home for the superintendent would be built at the same location as the current house. The foundation of the current house sank, collapsing the sewer line.

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