OAKES, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – A $14.84 million bond referendum in Oakes failed in a vote on Thursday, March 14th. The unofficial vote was 558 against the bond with 410 voting in favor of the proposed bond.
Earlier this year, the Oakes School Board approved a plan to propose a bond referendum to voters to invest in essential repairs and critical infrastructure updates to the district’s 100-year-old school building.
The decision to seek voter approval on an investment plan followed a comprehensive planning and assessment process that revealed significant facility needs. This process included a demographics analysis, educational adequacy assessment, and facility assessment conducted by third-party experts. The district also sought input from the community through two community-wide surveys, the formation of a community action committee, and listening sessions with residents, staff, and students.
“Our district would like to thank everyone who participated in this election. While the result is disappointing, we respect the voters’ decision,” said Superintendent Anna Sell. “We would also like to thank everyone who participated in our long-term facilities planning process to develop the proposed plan to address essential infrastructure needs in our schools.”
The proposed plan included: replacing outdated and broken heating, ventilation and air conditioning, indoor air quality, and window systems that are not fully functioning and fail to meet current air quality standards. The plan also included providing new ADA-compliant restrooms on the second and third floors of the high school, updating deteriorating infrastructure, electrical systems, food storage, appliances, and plumbing in the kitchen, and repairing and upgrading underground sewer pipes.
“We won’t give up on trying to solve very real problems with our facilities,” said Oakes School Board President Sonia Meehl. “We owe it to our students to ensure our building is a healthy and safe place to learn and grow.”
Questions can be directed to Superintendent Anna Sell at Anna.Sell@k12.nd.us or by phone at 701-742-3234.