Published: May 10, 2009 01:00 am      

Elkhart ISD voters handily OK $16M bond

The Elkhart Independent School District will be getting a new high school after its voters approved a $16 million bond election Saturday.

A total of 630 votes (63.5 percent) were cast “for” construction of the new high school, while 362 voters (36.5 percent) went “against” the bond.

The new high school, with an estimated cost of $19 million, will be constructed on U.S. 287 on property currently owned by the school district. Existing funds will offset $3 million of the high school’s cost.

EISD voters had rejected three bond issues in recent years, with the last of those coming in November 2007.

EISD officials say the average homeowner in the district will see their school taxes increase by $8.71 per month.

“It will be a new high school on (U.S.) 287,” EISD Superintendent Mike Moon said Saturday after the results had become official, “and it will meet the needs of our students for many years to come.”

There also were a pair of contested board elections on the EISD ballot, and one of those will be decided by a runoff next month.

In a three-way battle for Place 7, Charles McShan (338 votes) and Dale Crane (293 votes) were the top votegetters and will meet in next month’s runoff, according to Moon.

Randy Smith ran a close third in the race with 261 votes.

Michael Hampton won the Place 6 post on the board by gaining 457 votes (58.6 percent), while Gary McShan had 323 votes (41.4 votes).

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com