This story by Liz Sauchelli was first published by The Valley News on Nov. 6.
ROYALTON — Voters in Bethel and Royalton narrowly rejected a $3.8 million bond issue for improvements to the White River Unified District’s middle and high schools.
The vote was 753 against to 743 in favor of the project, according to unofficial results provided by district clerk Karmen Bascom, who is also Royalton’s town clerk. There are roughly 3,548 voters in the two-town district.
“The vote was very close. It’s not like a decisive decision one way or another,” Andrew Jones, chairman of the district’s school board, said in a Wednesday phone interview. “I think that maybe there could be some options for where we could go from here, but I don’t want to speculate as to what we could do as a board.”
The project, which was expected to cost a total of $6.8 million, included a new performing arts center for about $4.1 million at the high school in South Royalton, expanding the school’s wood shop and welding areas for $385,000, and fixing water drainage issues related to the gym. It also called for spending $642,000 to create secure entrances at the both the middle and high schools. The district’s middle school is in Bethel.
“Certainly we have a plan in place that addresses some water run off and drain off … that we will address this summer,” White River Valley Supervisory Union superintendent Jamie Kinnarney said Wednesday. “That’s a ‘have to.’ ”
District officials planned to bond for $3.8 million, with the rest of the funds to come from capital reserve funds, grants and donations, primarily for the performing arts center. Repaying the bond over 20 years would have added an average of $47 in taxes per year to a house valued at $200,000, but would likely have been offset by new revenue from tuition students, district officials said.
The project’s price tag — as well as Vermont’s growing education costs — was on the mind of residents who voted against the project.
“School taxes are murder in this state,” Ray Hamel, a retired union carpenter who lives in Royalton, said outside the polls on Tuesday about his decision to vote no. “It stinks, too, because I think the kids should have something better.”
Bethel resident Nancy Ferland, 73, said she was put off by the scope of the project during a Tuesday interview at the polls. “I can see they need some improvements,” but the district needs to “cut back and do small improvements. Something we as taxpayers can afford,” Ferland said.
Ashley Kelley, 30, of South Royalton, said that while she had concerns about the economy, she did vote for the school bond.
“I’m for it. I think our schools need a bit of a lift,” said Kelley, who works at the high school.
District officials plan to reach out to residents in the coming months to gather feedback about why they voted the way they did.
“Was it strictly the tax increase?” Kinnarney asked. “Or were there components of the plan folks didn’t feel good about supporting?”
The School Board is next scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Royalton campus and virtually on Google Meet and will discuss the voting results.
“I think that this was a really worthwhile project and I’m hoping we’re able to do something that will solve some of the issues that were being addressed with the project,” Jones, the board chairman, said.
Valley News Staff Writer Alex Hanson contributed to this report.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Royalton and Bethel voters narrowly reject school bond.