Staff writer
In a landslide vote, the community passed the Goessel school district bond issue with a 92 percent margin.
“I’m just floored right now,” Superintendent John Fast said after he saw the results come in at the Marion County Courthouse. “I never expected it to end quite like this. I was hoping for 78 percent in favor. This is just unbelievable.”
The vote was 337 in favor and 29 against. The $3.3 million bond will go to building improvements and a tornado shelter. Fast said 3 percent will go directly to costs inside the classroom — for supplies and the like.
Fast credits the success to the community being informed before election about the bond issue and the importance it had on the school — all in a short amount of time.
“We were hoofing it; at the time, we were saying, this is really going to be tough,” Maynard Knepp, a four-term USD 411 board of education member said. “But I think the results showed that people really came through.”
Both Fast and Knepp were impressed with the amount of people who came out to vote.
“The folks in the community did a good job,” Knepp said. “I’m overwhelmed. This shows that this is what the community wanted.”
Fast called several school officials while still at the courthouse, telling them to tell everyone they could.
“Put it on the chalkboard in the cafeteria,” he said. “We want everyone to know.”
City election results
In uncontested Hillsboro races, Delores Dalke won mayor. Robert Watson and Marlene Fast won positions on the city council. School board positions went to Mark Rooker and Joe Sechrist.
In Goessel, Dave Schrag won mayor. Larry Schmidt and Larry Lindeman won positions on city council. Uncontested school board positions were affirmed by voters.