Voters turn down $4.5M referendum for addition at school in Buchanan

Masaki Ova, The Jamestown Sun, N.D.
·1 min read

Nov. 22—BUCHANAN, N.D. — Voters in the Pingree-Buchanan Public School District on Monday, Nov. 21, voted down the proposed $4.5 million bond referendum for an addition and renovation to the elementary school here.

In unofficial results, there were 75 "yes" votes and 81 against the referendum, according to the school district's website. A 60% majority was needed to pass the referendum.

"I think we had a good turnout of people," said Amber Krapp, superintendent of the school district. "I think we just need to go to the drawing board, see what we need to do."

If approved, the school district would have received $4.5 million through bonds that would have been used for an addition and renovation to the elementary school.

The project included adding three classrooms for students in prekindergarten, kindergarten and first grade, a media center, music room, secure entrance, a new administration office area, spaces for Title I, special education and counseling services, reworking the pickup and drop-off sites for parents and buses, staff parking and an upgraded student commons area. All elementary school students and classes would have been held in the same building.

Krapp said the issue of limited space and the old schoolhouse being 114 years old is still there.

"It's a needed project so we have to figure out how we can make it work."

The school board will canvas the results at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Pingree-Buchanan High School in Pingree, North Dakota.