$100 million bond for new school, improved security in Litchfield Park district losing by 156 votes
LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5) — A West Valley school district proposed a bond to help alleviate their schools that are near or at capacity. On Tuesday, voters in the Litchfield Elementary School District were asked to decide on a $100 million bond that would help improve security, renovate current schools, and build a new school to alleviate the growing student body.
“We hope that it does pass. This bond, the additional resources, will really just give us some freedom,” Litchfield Elementary School District Superintendent Carter Davidson said. “We have some schools that have lost their library space, and we’ve made them classroom space.”
Belen Soto Elementary converted their library into more classroom space at the start of this year. Verrado Elementary will have modular classrooms by the start of next school year. More portable classes are coming to the district next year as the district is seeing some of the highest growth in the Valley.
As of Wednesday night, the “no” votes slightly outnumbered the “yes” votes for the bond. Out of more than 17,000 votes, there is only a 156-vote difference. If the measure fails, the district will have to come up with creative ways to fit all the students.
Davidson mentioned they may need to rework the boundaries of the district. That means kids could go to new schools next year, and the schools could be further away than the ones they currently attend. “It’s going to require some hardship and some big decisions as it relates to how to we utilize the space in front of us,” Davidson said. “It can be painful. It’s a change. We want to be as considerate as we can, but if we don’t have those additional resources, we have no choice but to dig hard and do what’s best for the entire district.”
The district expects the final results by the weekend. We will let you know what the voters ultimately decide.
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