School Board Officials Weigh in on Referendum Results

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School districts in Minnesota are dealing with the aftermath of yesterday’s bond votes.
 
The referendum voting results are a relief for some districts, and a disappointment for others.

A snapshot of the final tallied referendum results, shows that school districts like DGF and Detroit Lakes weren’t so fortunate at the polls, their bonds failed.
 
64% of voters said yes to the Moorhead bond and Superintendent Lynne Kovash says she is grateful for their support
 
“I’m just relieved to know that our students will have the schools they need, and our teachers will have the places they need to teach I’m just excited that our community supported this,” says Kovash.
 
East Grand Forks Superintendent David Pace told me that the district is already moving forward in the planning process after its $20.6 million bond passed.
 
“While schools districts like Moorhead and East Grand Forks plan ahead in relief districts like DGF and Detroit Lakes are going back to the drawing board to figure out what’s next,” says Pace.
 
DGF Superintendent Bryan Thygeson says “I think it’s sends a pretty clear indication that we need to go back to the drawing room, and pull people in.”
 
Thygeson says voters don’t realize that the future of education is in their hands.
 
“For some it will be a no vote, because they’re kids are not in the system, and that’s unfortunate,” he says.
 
Detroit Lakes Superintendent Doug Froke says the no vote there will force them to once again revise, and look at how to get the job done.
 
“That’s an issue that’s front and center for us, and so we have to find a better way to get that information out there,” says Froke.
 
This is the second time in two years that the Detroit Lakes School District referendum has been rejected by voters.

The Detroit Lakes $68 million dollar plan was rejected by a difference of 123 votes.