Rocky Boy votes again on school fix

The Rocky Boy school district is trying once again to hold a vote, mailing ballots last Friday to secure a bond for funding for a number of projects.

The $4,275,000 bond would fund several projects in the reservation schools.

One would be the addition of new locker rooms. Superintendent Voyd St. Pierre said that the schools currently allow visiting teams to use the locker rooms, while Rocky Boy student athletes get dressed for games in classrooms.

Three classrooms would be built.

St. Pierre said the money would allow the construction of "much-needed storage" and expansions on the school's foyer, coaching offices and concessions area.

"We really need this space," St. Pierre said. "This building has been too full since it opened in 1980."

This is the second time a vote for this funding has come up. The last vote in August passed overwhelmingly, but had insufficient voter turnout to be valid.

St. Pierre said he thought a lot of that turnout problem was that the election was held during the annual Rocky Boy powwow, when most eligible voters were preoccupied. That and it required physically coming in and voting.

This time the vote is by mail-in ballot. The ballots were mailed out on Friday to the several hundred voters on the reservation that spans both Hill and Chouteau counties.

The ballots all have to be returned by Nov. 29, though St. Pierre said that there had already been a handful of ballots turned in by Monday morning, which he found encouraging.

He explained this is the school's last hope for getting these changes.

"Without the bond passed, it would be a bit problematic to receive the funding," St. Pierre said. "We've already exhausted most of our other options, unless a major grant opportunity comes along. But we're not holding our breath."

The Rocky Boy school district is trying once again to hold a vote, mailing ballots last Friday to secure a bond for funding for a number of projects.

The $4,275,000 bond would fund several projects in the reservation schools.

One would be the addition of new locker rooms. Superintendent Voyd St. Pierre said that the schools currently allow visiting teams to use the locker rooms, while Rocky Boy student athletes get dressed for games in classrooms.

Three classrooms would be built.

St. Pierre said the money would allow the construction of "much-needed storage" and expansions on the school's foyer, coaching offices and concessions area.

"We really need this space," St. Pierre said. "This building has been too full since it opened in 1980."

This is the second time a vote for this funding has come up. The last vote in August passed overwhelmingly, but had insufficient voter turnout to be valid.

St. Pierre said he thought a lot of that turnout problem was that the election was held during the annual Rocky Boy powwow, when most eligible voters were preoccupied. That and it required physically coming in and voting.

This time the vote is by mail-in ballot. The ballots were mailed out on Friday to the several hundred voters on the reservation that spans both Hill and Chouteau counties.

The ballots all have to be returned by Nov. 29, though St. Pierre said that there had already been a handful of ballots turned in by Monday morning, which he found encouraging.

He explained this is the school's last hope for getting these changes.

"Without the bond passed, it would be a bit problematic to receive the funding," St. Pierre said. "We've already exhausted most of our other options, unless a major grant opportunity comes along. But we're not holding our breath."