$5.1M P-B elementary bond referendum fails

In their second attempt to pass a bond referendum to approve funding for an addition and renovation to their elementary school facility in Buchanan, voters in the Pingree-Buchanan school district rejected the $5.1 million proposal at the ballot box.

Unofficial results from the Wednesday, December 6, election showed that 133 voters were in favor of the referendum, or 56%, to 104 opposed, or 44%. A 60% supermajority was needed for the project to pass.

Turnout for the latest election was higher than in the first election in November, 2022, where 156 total voters participated. In that instance, the bond referendum was for $4.5 million.

According to P-B Superintendent Amber Krapp, the increased costs for the 2023 referendum lie with the rising price of construction and building materials.

Had it passed, three new classrooms would have been constructed at P-B Elementary for pre-K, kindergarten and first grade classes, along with a secure entryway, new administrative offices, a music room and media center, and new space for Title I, special education and counseling services.

Additional upgrades included a new commons area, and new pickup and dropoff zones for buses and parents, along with staff parking spaces, an expanded lunchroom, and ADA-compliant bathrooms.

Two capital maintenance projects were also part of the bond issue, window replacement at the elementary school and roof repair at the high school in Pingree. Total costs for those projects were less than $100,000.

Much of the need for the referendum stems from the district’s continued usage of their 1908 annex for pre-K and kindergarten classes. Krapp says that the building fails to meet safety and handicap accesibility requirements, and does not meet modern building code standards.

The P-B School Board is scheduled to canvass the voting results at their regular meeting on Tuesday, December 19, and from there, Krapp and the board will have decisions to make on how to address the building issues in the future.