The residents of the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland school district who want their newly consolidated endeavor to die are in the minority. But because conservatives have imposed minority rule on school bond issues, that minority has denied the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland school district its future.
Local voters turned out Tuesday for a second vote on funding a new school building to replace the old, separate, and thus inefficient facilities the district continues to operate. In their first vote, in September, ORR voters rejected an $18.8-million bond issue with just 277 yeas and 305 nays. ORR voters Tuesday responded more favorably to a cheaper $15.95 million proposal with less spending on athletic facilities, casting 326 yeas and 273 nays. That 54.4% is better than what the district’s own survey suggested was possible, but it’s not the 60% necessary to approve the bond issue.
The minority has thus spoken: let the local schools in Ramona and Rutland die. Because the minority is too cheap to build the unified school building that will make their consolidated district financially sustainable, everyone in the doomed district can now spend more money driving their kids to school in Madison, Arlington, and Volga. Have fun trying out for varsity ball with the Bulldogs, Cardinals, and Cossacks, kids!
A hard 45% of those voting in the new district were opposed to consolidation and roughly the same percentages are against a building project along Hwy. 81 at the Nunda corner. Fifty-three percent can pass a consolidation vote but fails in minority rule bond elections. As they make plans to update their 100+ year old buildings, the next issue to roil the district will be which community gets the 7-12 HS and which will be the elementary attendance center. Each community will want to have the high school and the one that doesn’t will not be pleased to the point that students living at the outlying areas open enrolling out to attend HS in other school districts.
Hey, when I was a kid… yada, yada… one room school… yada, yada… walked to school… yada, yada… up hill both ways… I’m sure these are the folks voting nay. ;-)
I don’t have a horse in this race, but it would seem to me that Ramona makes more sense for the HS. The school itself appears to be in better shape of the 2 for starters. There is also a fire department in Ramona. Could be a big issue with industrial arts type classes. I’m also just speculating here, but am betting power and internet feeds into the community were all replaced after the derecho. You also still have some businesses left there too such as the bank for example. Probably could also work with the bar and cafe to cater food if needed for a special event pretty easily.
60% voter threshold rules are anti-democratic and ought be barred for elections and rules in legislatures.
The US, and often state constitutions, and congressional, and state legislative bodies abuse the super-majority nonsense. Just bar super majorities.
If the advocates cannot win a majority – they deserve a trip to the policy landfill.
Yes, technically this is minority rule. However, you need to think of this in a different way. If a community cannot get around 2/3’s support for a project like this, it will split the community so harshly that the community will never recover. Of the people who do not support a project like this, my feeling is half may come around, but the other half will be against the project forever.
If I was on the school board, I’d actually push for a 65% majority before going forward on a project like this. IMO you need that level of support in a small community, otherwise there will be too many naysayers that will destroy your community.
I’ll solve the issue. Dissolve all the districts in Lake County and create a Lake County district. Redistribute students to buildings in the most efficient way. Students in the district that live in other counties can be absorbed by nearby districts, or better, by consolidating on a county basis. Now everyone can shut up.
Let the school districts die.
Wyoming is actively doing just what grud is suggesting: letting school districts die.
https://www.sundancetimes.com/story/2023/12/14/news/city-attorney-speaks-out-against-property-tax-petition/8510.html