Published: June 20, 2009 10:21 pm      

Maconaquah bond issue defeated

Renovation plan handed 57-43 loss

BUNKER HILL — Voters in the Maconaquah school district voted against moving forward with a $19 million expansion in a special election Saturday.

Voting took place at Maconaquah High School and finished at 6 p.m. Just 1,362 people of the approximately 6,600 eligible voters cast ballots. Election officials said 772, or roughly 57 percent, vote no and 590 voted yes.

The referendum is the result of a petition drive earlier this year in which 161 of the 180 signatures were opposed to the bond issue.

The school system was seeking $19 million to renovate portions of the high school and middle school. The high school was constructed in 1964 and the middle school opened in 1968.

The funds would have been used to renovate the heating and air conditioning systems, upgrade the electrical system for future technology and replace galvanized pipe in the two buildings.

School officials previously said the renovation project included only necessary improvements to infrastructure and outdated systems that had outlived their life expectancy. Some of the systems targeted for replacement are original to the buildings.

According to state law, Maconaquah school board has to wait a year before making another attempt at a bond issue.