By John McCallum
Editor 

School bond barely passing

 

Last updated 2/16/2017 at 8:30am



As of press time Tuesday night, the Cheney School District’s $52 million capital facilities bond was barely receiving the 60 percent voter approval needed for passage.

According to information from the Spokane County Election Department’s website, the bond was receiving a 60.21 percent approval, garnering 3,591 votes for to 2,373 against. The 5,964 total votes amounted to just over 30 percent of the 19,788 ballots sent out to voters taking part in the only two measures on the Feb. 14 ballot — Cheney and Orchard Prairie School District’s levy.

Overall, 31.46 percent of voters had returned their ballots. All ballots had been counted that had been received up to Tuesday. With likely several hundred more ballots remaining to be counted, the next count of ballots postmarked Feb. 14 or earlier but not received was Wednesday, Feb. 15.

A preliminary look at how people voted in precincts showed the measure was receiving 70.43 percent in Cheney, 1,022 yes to 429 no. In Airway Heights, the bond was passing with 61.90 percent of the vote.

Those two cities accounted for eight of the 26 precincts in the school district.

If the bond maintains its 60 percent approval, it will pay for expansion and renovation at three elementary schools and the district’s only high school in Cheney. Twenty-five additional classrooms will be built at Sunset Elementary in Airway Heights, Windsor Elementary in the Windsor/Marshall area and Betz Elementary in Cheney, along with a new gym at Sunset and multipurpose room at Windsor.

The high school would see 17 new classrooms, a weight and fitness room, practice gym, new wrestling room and a new 500-seat auditorium. All four schools would see enhanced security measures at their front entrances, as would Salnave Elementary in Cheney.

The district’s alternative high school, Three Springs, would be relocated to land near Cheney Middle School.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.

Author Bio

John McCallum, Retired editor

John McCallum is an award-winning journalist who retired from Cheney Free Press after more than 20 years. He received 10 Washington Newspaper Publisher Association awards for journalism and photography, including first place awards for Best Investigative, Best News and back-to-back awards in Best Breaking News categories.

 

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