Cassia School Board Revisits Projects after Voters Knock Down Bond Proposal

BURLEY, Idaho (KLIX) –  After voters knocked down a $14.9 million bond proposal at the ballot box Tuesday, the Cassia County School District will have to rethink some of the projects it started last year. Other projects the district had hoped to start won’t happen.

“The additional bond was to help the district complete projects started in 2015,” said Superintendent Gaylen Smyer. “Without the additional money it now is going to be necessary to scale back projects and eliminate some others. The board is going through the process now of what that list needs to look like to fit within budget parameters.”

The district told voters the $36.9 million bond they approved in March 2015 was underestimated. The school board regrouped last fall to review projects and district needs and to determine shortages. Projects started last year involved upgrades at Malta and Oakley junior and senior high schools, including expanded parking and additional classrooms.

“The Malta and Oakley projects will still move forward, but they’ll trimmed back,” Smyer said. “Now we’ll be short on some classrooms in Oakley and parking will be a gravel lot.”

Burley and Declo were hardest hit. The district hoped to build a new elementary school in Burley and make improvements at Mountain View, Dworshak and White Pine schools. It also had plans to add classrooms to Burley Junior and Senior high schools. In Declo, it wanted to build a replacement elementary school and remodel the junior high school.

Smyer said the board has no plans to put the bond proposal back on the ballot in the foreseeable future. The district will move forward with what the residents have decided, he said.