Split decision seen in Delano vote

By PATRICE RELERFORD, Star Tribune

Last update: April 23, 2008 - 9:23 AM

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Who's complaining

Sloppyjoe, First of all, I donât drive a gas-guzzler SUV. I am not wasteful. I am very conservative. You can find me walking and … read more biking to get around. Now that we cleared this issue up. I understand in the article what the price increase would be for a new school. My point is we have been burned with the growth in Delano. There is no growth. If people wanted to move to Delano, they would. Guess what--only 3 houses have sold in Delano since January of 08. Does that seem like a lot of growth to justify a new school? Delano people are paying a hefty price for city water because the city did not grow. Do you want to get burned again by building a school and having to eat the cost because Delano didnât grow? I certainly donât. Everyone who has city water is experiencing it right now by paying for the growth that never happened. I am willing to pay more once I can actually see a true need.

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The Delano School District's request to buy land for a new elementary school was approved by voters Tuesday, but the district again failed to get the OK to proceed with construction of the school.

Residents voted 1,782 to 1,304 to approve $980,000 for acquiring the land where the school would be build. But by a vote of 1,694 to 1,388, they rejected a $27 million bond to proceed with construction, according to Delano Superintendent John Sweet.

It's the second split decision in a row for Delano.

In November, voters agreed to give the district $700,000 a year to operate the new school but voted down funding to buy the land and build it.

School officials had taken the questions back to the voters so soon because their purchase agreement on the land expires April 30.

Approval of the land purchase will cost a taxpayer who owns a $272,000 home -- the average home price in the district -- an additional $15 a year; approval of the construction bond would have cost another $158 a year.

Delano officials say the new school is needed because enrollment at the district's three schools, which now totals 2,248, has increased by almost 400 students since 2002.

PATRICE RELERFORD

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