A bond referendum question presented to voters in the Round Lake Brewster school district on Tuesday was narrowly defeated.
The yes-or-no referendum question asked voters to authorize the district to issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $30,480,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities. According to totals on the Minnesota Secretary of State website, a total of 219 "no" votes were cast and there were 212 "yes" votes.
Included as part of the referendum proposal were the decommissioning of the 1914 three-story school building, decommissioning of the 1938 gymnasium building and construction of a 72,000-square-foot addition in three phases. Included in that construction would be the following: 20 modern classrooms; dedicated music, art and science classrooms; a library and media center; a student commons/community gathering space; a gymnasium with a regulation basketball court and bleacher seating; a technical education shop classroom; a kitchen with serving lines; a drive-thru drop-off and pick-up lane; and administrative support spaces.
It's not known what the Round Lake Brewster district's next move is regarding facilities. Superintendent Raymond Hassing could not be reached on Thursday.
