Eureka voters shoot down proposed school bond - KPAX.com | Continuous News | Missoula & Western Montana

Eureka voters shoot down proposed school bond

EUREKA - The Eureka School District asked their residents to vote on an over $18 million bond request that would rebuild the middle and elementary school while repairing parts of the high school.

The high school bond failed on Tuesday with 1069 residents voting no and 649 voting yes while the elementary and middle school bond also failed as 813 said no to 550 said yes. 

The bond would have put almost $15 million into rebuilding a new conjoined elementary and middle school that would be attached to the high school. Both buildings have structural damage and outdated classrooms among other issues. 

Another $3.5 million would have gone into the high school to create a new place to store school buses and build a new auto and wood shop.

Eureka Middle School principal Trevor Utter says putting a band-aid on a wound is just delaying the fact that a new school will eventually need to be built and it will continue to become more expensive. 

“I guess that’s another disappointment I have is, you know this is something we will deal with until the bond passes,” Utter said. “At some point in time you’re going to have to build a new school in Eureka Montana and the cost of building is not going to be less, two years from now it’s going to cost more than it does today.”

Utter added that they cannot dwell on the failure of the bond but need to move forward in the present and continue to find options for the school that the community is able to support.