Windom school bond referendum fails; Fulda's passes by three votes

A $27.5 million ballot question put forward in the Windom Area School District failed Tuesday. Unofficial results show that there were 810 yes votes and 856 no votes.

If passed, the ensuing bond would have funded improvements to the district's fine arts and athletic facilities. A facility study and community-wide survey had identified what the district deemed to be key infrastructure needs, including: an athletic complex with artificial turf, an eight-lane track and dedicated youth fields; a fine arts center featuring an 800-seat auditorium, dressing rooms, costume storage and enhanced acoustics for theatrical performances; an expanded auxiliary gym with gymnastics spectator space; a wrestling room remodel to create a dedicated training space; and a locker room reconfiguration to upgrade team areas and make the space usable for students.

In a social media post Tuesday night, the district stated: "Windom Area Schools thanks all voters who participated and contributed to the discussion about the future of our schools and communities. In the coming months, the School Board and administration will determine next steps and explore all options to secure a long-term, sustainable plan for our schools."

Meanwhile, the Fulda Public School District on Tuesday appeared to have its $35.3 million bond referendum passed by a narrow margin. Unofficial results have 402 yes votes and 399 no votes.

The bond will fund the move to a one-building PreK-12 school campus as well as the upgrading of heating and ventilation systems, roofing and parking lot replacement, and secure school entrances.