Whitefish voters say 'no' to bond request

Voters denied the Whitefish School District's $21.5 million bond request Thursday.

Of the 4,347 ballots turned in to the district, 2,551 were against the bond issue and 1,796 supported it.

About half of Whitefish's 8,600 registered voters participated in the mail election.

"I want to thank the supporters and the people that voted one way or another," Superintendent Jerry House said. "We had a 50 percent turnout. That tells me that education is important to the Whitefish community and that they care, which is a positive."

The district needs to honor the public's decision, House said, but at the same time, there are needs at the school that need to be addressed.

The district had hoped to use the money on about 164,000 square feet of new construction, remodeling and improvements. The existing facility no longer meets the needs of teachers or the student body, officials say, which is creating safety and liability issues.

Proposed changes included about 85,700 square feet of new construction, including more than 20 classrooms and an expanded library. The school would have received a new food court, cafeteria and commons area, two new locker rooms, a weight room and a training room.

The building's C wing, which was built in 1956 and has an outdated heating system and restrooms, would have been demolished.

"We need to regroup and rethink and readdress our needs and how do we go about taking care of our needs," House said. "That's what's important for the Whitefish community, but it's more important for Whitefish students, the leaders of tomorrow."

House acknowledged that there are several issues going on in Whitefish in addition to the school's needs that might have prevented more community members from supporting the bond issue.

"The schoolhouse, as part of the community, needs to work with the rest of our community to figure out how we're going to make this thing fly," he said.

The district last tried to pass a high school bond issue in 2003, when voters rejected a $10.4 million request. Voters approved $10.2 million in bonds to renovate Whitefish Middle School - then called Central School - in the same election.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.