School board ponders resurrecting bond vote

It’s coming back.

The Central Kitsap School District’s $60 million bond proposal could reappear on ballots in 2004 according to preliminary discussions held at Wednesday’s board meeting.

The district has missed the filing date for the Nov. 4 general election but has three more times to get it on the ballot. The soonest would be Feb. 3 with a filing deadline of Dec. 19.

District officials have heard feedback from constituents through e-mails and conversations, but have not pinpointed a cause for the bond’s failure in the election Sept. 16.

“We’re hoping as those conversations continue we can learn specifics from people who did not vote for it,” said Superintendent Cathy Davidson.

If approved the measure would have been used to replace CK Junior High School, Seabeck Elementary and Jackson Park Elementary. It would have also replaced Fairview Junior High. The current Fairview would have been renovated, but it was not part of the bond package.

Backers were disappointed by the bond’s failure to get a 60 percent super majority. According to latest election results released Sept. 25, 7,754 voters or 50.27 percent approved the measure and 49.73 percent rejected it. The election results were certified Friday

There were concerns about Fairview and whether it was too new of a building for replacement. Some people said the amount the district was asking for was too much, while others said the buildings didn’t appear to have anything wrong, board members reported.

“There was a strong no vote from senior citizens,” said board member Carl Johnson.

“I’m sure we’re not going to persuade those people,” he said. He acknowledged the lack of time to educate people hurt the bond’s chances.

“That’s where our work is cut out for us. We’ve got to make sure we have adequate time for education,” he said. “It’s those who choose not to educate themselves that I have the most angst with,” Johnson said.

Davidson shied away from placing the no voters into categories and urged the board to do the same.

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