School bond issues fail in Hugoton, Ulysses, Oberlin, unofficial counts show

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Unofficial results show a trio of western Kansas school districts falling short of passing bond issues. Joining Valley Center in the Wichita area on Tuesday, voters in the Hugoton, Ulysses and Oberlin school districts said “no” to additional spending intended for school improvements and upgrades, preliminary results show.

In Hugoton, a $36 million bond issue for safety improvements and classroom renovations fell short by preliminary count of 893 “no” votes to 244 votes in favor of the bond issue.

In Ulysses, voters said “no” to a near-$45 million bond issue for improvements that included a reconfiguration of grades across three buildings and that addressed ADA and safety concerns and mechanical system upgrades. The unofficial count shows the bond question failing 929-241 and a 1% sales tax question to fund the bond issue failing 637 to 290.

Finally, in Oberlin (including Decatur County High School), voters turned down a $29 million bond issue to upgrade buildings by a count of 621-362, preliminary results show. Decatur County reported a voter turnout of 53.7%.