After the apparent defeat of a bond issue proposal by voters, Batavia School District 101 Superintendent Lisa Hichens on Friday reached out to the community for input, saying the district’s “facility needs are real.”
Voters appear to have rejected a $140 million bond issue to replace H.C. Storm Elementary and Louise White Elementary with new school buildings plus make other district-wide improvements to schools.
The unofficial vote totals show 54.36% of the voters were against the bond issue, while 45.64% were in favor of the measure.
“The community rejected the plan that was developed over many years with staff and community input along the way,” Hichens said in a message posted on the district’s website. “Our facility needs are real and we cannot ignore them. It is critical that we come together as a community to create a new plan that reflects the desires and needs of everyone involved. We cannot move forward without everyone’s assistance and input.”
If the referendum question had been approved by voters, the Batavia School District Board of Education would have be able to issue school building bonds that would have coincided with the retirement of existing debt and generate funding for the proposed projects without increasing the current bond and interest property tax levy, district officials said before the election.
The district’s existing bond debt is set to expire in two years, according to officials.
Hichens, who is retiring at the end of the school year, has encouraged the community to come together to develop a new plan.
“At some point in the near future, we will need to go back to the drawing board,” she said.
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“While many in the community participated by voting on the plan, we need more than just your vote. We need your assistance. I urge each and every one of you to participate in this process, share your thoughts and ideas, and work with us to develop a new plan that will meet the needs of our schools and community. Your engagement and commitment are essential to our success,” Hichens said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.