Elections: No on College Community bond, Midland measures approved

CEDAR RAPIDS — Voters in several school districts went to the polls with various funding measures on the ballot Tuesday. For districts like College Community, Midland and Clayton Ridge, administrators were asking for approval of bonds to fund future construction or facility upgrades. In nearly every case, the measures were rejected.

The College Community School District, which serves southern portions of Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas, had plans for a $49.5 million bond issue that would have paid for renovations at Prairie High School, Prairie Creek Intermediate School and Prairie Crest, Prairie Heights and Prairie View elementary schools.

The measure failed by a vote of 57.1% to 42.9%, according to unofficial results from the Linn County Auditor's Office. It needed 60% approval to pass. District spokesperson Steve Doser said in an email that the bond issue failed by approximately 58 votes.

In the Midland Community School District, officials had two measures on the ballot: a $12.9 million bond issue and an item asking for permission to exceed the $2.70 debt service tax levy. Both measures needed, and received, 60% approval, according to information provided by the Jones County Auditor's Office.

'With this victory the work is just beginning as we will be held accountable to follow through on a facility that truly will impact learning and teaching. The community deserves this, the faculty deserves this, but most importantly, the students deserve this,' superintendent Brian Rodenberg said in a statement.

Voters in the Clayton Ridge Community School District rejected a $10 million bond issue to repair school facilities in Guttenberg. The measure was defeated, receiving only 20% of the needed 60% support. In the Central Community School District, voters approved a $0.67 ten-year PPEL tax levy and a change in the district's revenue purpose statement for the use of school local-option sales tax revenue, according to Clayton County Auditor Dennis Freitag.

Poweshiek County district Grinnell-Newburg also saw a bond measure defeated, earning 42% approval.

Voters in the West Branch School District were asked whether to continue an instructional support levy administrators said would raise at least $400,000 for the upcoming school year. However, results from the Cedar County Auditor's Office had not be turned in as of 10 p.m. Tuesday.

All election results are considered unofficial until the county auditors offices conduct their individual canvass of votes, which typically takes place within two weeks of election day.