Prairie High, Springville elementary bonds pass

Neither winter weather nor delayed opening times for Linn County polling locations prevented voters from passing major bond issues in two Eastern Iowa school districts.

In special elections Tuesday, voters in College Community approved a $49.5 million bond to pay for an addition to Prairie High School, and voters in Springville passed a $4.7 million bond to add an elementary school building to the district's existing secondary school.

'It's a good night for kids in Eastern Iowa,” said John Speer, College Community's superintendent.

As bond votes, both initiatives needed at least 60 percent approval to pass.

College Community School District's bond passed with 1,922 votes, or 68 percent, in favor. A total of 2,824 votes were cast, almost 50 percent more than were cast the last time the bond came before voters in April.

'We got the word out and people had a sense of urgency about this,” Speer said. 'Voters stand up, I think tonight just shows that.”

In addition to expanding Prairie High School with more general classrooms, science classrooms, music classrooms and a new cafeteria, College Community's bond also will be used to repair and remodel the Prairie Crest, Prairie Heights and Prairie View buildings.

The bonds also will be designated to improve safety, with updated fire sprinkler systems, fire alarms, intercoms and secure offices and building entrances at Prairie Crest, Prairie Heights and Prairie View schools.

District officials said the bond would add 32 cents to the district's tax rate, increasing it from $15.81 to $16.13 per $1,000 assessed valuation.

Speer said he hopes that more detailed designs can be produced immediately and would like to see bidding for the first classroom addition to the high school late next fall or early 2017.

'There's a lot of fun work that starts literally tomorrow,” he said.

SPRINGVILLE: 599 voters, 65 percent approval

In Springville, 599 voters took to the polls, with 391, or more than 65 percent, approving the district's bond. A similar bond failed in 2014 when fewer than 50 percent of voters approved.

Pat Hocking, district superintendent, said the district's willingness to scale back the project and appeal to voters helped pull in more support.

'We did listen to our first vote, and we put out a proposal we thought was best for our district. We're very excited to get it passed,” he said. 'We're just very gracious to the community.”

District officials plan to vacate the current elementary school and build a K-12 school by adding on to the secondary school building.

School officials say the bond issue will add $2.70 per $1,000 valuation to the district's current tax levy of $12.98. That's an additional $137 per year on property assessed at $100,000.

Hocking said he hopes to break ground on the project this summer and be ready to open in fall 2017.

Both Hocking and Speer said they were nervous about curtailed tuurnout because of wintry weather, which led to Linn County polling sites opening at noon, rather than 7 a.m.

'People need as much opportunity to vote as they can, and I was really fearful that shortening voting would hurt us in the end,” Speer said.

Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said Tuesday was the first time in his nine years as auditor that he's ever had to delay polling site openings because of weather.

Levy easily approved in lone tree

Also Tuesday, Johnson County voters in the 450-student Lone Tree school district approved renewal of a 66-cent levy for a physical plant and equipment.

Of the 106 votes cast, 101, or 95 percent, voted to approve renewing the levy.

The levy, which comes up for renewal every 10 years, provides the district with about $92,000 annually for building repairs or purchases of such things as buses or computers.