News you can use

$4.3 million Rocky Boy bond approved

The results of the Rocky Boy School District's bond election, for a $4.3 million upgrade to the junior/senior high school complex, were verified this morning. The bond passed by more than 95 percent.

Voyd St. Pierre, the district superintendent, said this morning that he had met with the bond counselors and they confirmed that these results, as opposed to last August's, were valid.

"I guess we passed our first hurdle, " St. Pierre said. "We still have a long way to go, but the first hurdle was the most difficult to pass. "

The additions paid for by the $4.3 million bond from the U. S. Department of Education' Impact Aid funds will include the construction of new classrooms, a foyer, a locker room and concessions areas.

The bond was voted on back in August, when it required voters to cast ballots in person. That election failed because the less than 170 voters that came out weren't enough for the vote to count. St. Pierre said that lack of turnout could have been because the election was during the annual powwow, when a lot of people are preoccupied.

This time the election was done by mail. The ballots were sent out a couple weeks ago and were due back this week.

Counting voters from Hill and Chouteau counties on the Rocky Boy reservation, 352 votes were cast. There were 337 votes for the bond, 15 votes against it.

St. Pierre said that the trustees will go over the votes in the next few days, then a "quiet period" will be held, offering a chance for any protests to be heard. Though with such a significant majority, the superintendent is not concerned.

After that time, and a bit of paperwork, St. Pierre hopes to call for bids from general contractors on the project early next year.

He said he hoped construction could begin in the spring, as soon as the weather allows, and get fully under way through the summer, when school is out.

The $4.3 million dollars will come from the Impact Aid money that the school district receives annually. Now the bond will be paid by the district over the next 14 years. St. Pierre said that they have been planning for this for a while and put portions of these funds away for such a project.

"It should have no major impact on the budget that we have been running for a while, " St. Pierre said.

But for now the superintendent is happy with the district's current victory.

"A lot of people worked really hard for this, " St. Pierre said. "Now it's just paperwork, crossing T's, dotting I's. "

The results of the Rocky Boy School District's bond election, for a $4.3 million upgrade to the junior/senior high school complex, were verified this morning. The bond passed by more than 95 percent.

Voyd St. Pierre, the district superintendent, said this morning that he had met with the bond counselors and they confirmed that these results, as opposed to last August's, were valid.

"I guess we passed our first hurdle, " St. Pierre said. "We still have a long way to go, but the first hurdle was the most difficult to pass. "

The additions paid for by the $4.3 million bond from the U. S. Department of Education' Impact Aid funds will include the construction of new classrooms, a foyer, a locker room and concessions areas.

The bond was voted on back in August, when it required voters to cast ballots in person. That election failed because the less than 170 voters that came out weren't enough for the vote to count. St. Pierre said that lack of turnout could have been because the election was during the annual powwow, when a lot of people are preoccupied.

This time the election was done by mail. The ballots were sent out a couple weeks ago and were due back this week.

Counting voters from Hill and Chouteau counties on the Rocky Boy reservation, 352 votes were cast. There were 337 votes for the bond, 15 votes against it.

St. Pierre said that the trustees will go over the votes in the next few days, then a "quiet period" will be held, offering a chance for any protests to be heard. Though with such a significant majority, the superintendent is not concerned.

After that time, and a bit of paperwork, St. Pierre hopes to call for bids from general contractors on the project early next year.

He said he hoped construction could begin in the spring, as soon as the weather allows, and get fully under way through the summer, when school is out.

The $4.3 million dollars will come from the Impact Aid money that the school district receives annually. Now the bond will be paid by the district over the next 14 years. St. Pierre said that they have been planning for this for a while and put portions of these funds away for such a project.

"It should have no major impact on the budget that we have been running for a while, " St. Pierre said.

But for now the superintendent is happy with the district's current victory.

"A lot of people worked really hard for this, " St. Pierre said. "Now it's just paperwork, crossing T's, dotting I's. "

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/25/2024 20:51