Perryville school bond fails

Voters for the second time in five months rejected a proposed $3.36 million bond issue to improve the Perryville school campus, while school tax measures in the Delta and Altenburg school districts passed.

In Jackson, voters elected retired teacher Dan Stover and re-elected Gerald Adams to the Jackson school board Tuesday. Stover was the top vote-getter in a field of four candidates for the Jackson school board. Stover garnered 1,883 votes. Adams received 1,637. Insurance broker Marc Harris finished with 1,028 votes followed by mechanical engineer Brian Dameron with 562 votes.

Adams, who was working the night shift at the Nordenia USA plant Tuesday night, said he was pleased voters re-elected him to a fourth three-year term.

He said his re-election reflects voters' confidence in the current school board. "I think everything is headed in the right direction," he said. "I think most of the patrons feel that their children are getting a very good education."

Stover, who declined a newspaper interview in the days before the election, couldn't be reached for comment on election night.

Many voters said they chose Stover because he formerly taught in the district. "He taught one of my sons, and he did right by my son," voter Pat Scully said.

Voters in the Altenburg School District approved 174-157 a measure that will increase the tax levy from $3.07 to $3.43 per $100 assessed valuation. It was the first time voters had approved a tax increase in the district since 1982.

The tax levy increase is expected to generate $85,000 to $100,000 annually in additional revenue. That includes $27,000 in additional state aid that the district now qualifies for because of the levy increase. The tax increase will provide money for operating expenses and allow the district to start setting aside money for future construction of a new school building.

Voters in the Delta School District approved 156-40 a measure to shift 20 cents from the debt service levy to the operating levy. No tax increase was involved. The levy shift will raise the operating levy to $3.43, the minimum levy needed to secure added state funding. The district expects to receive about $30,000 a year in additional state aid.

In the Perryville School District, voters handily rejected a bond issue that would have increased the school district's levy by 31 cents per $100 assessed valuation for six years to pay off the bonds.

The vote was 829 for to 1,234 against. The measure would have required a supermajority of slightly more than 57 percent to pass.

"It is very disappointing," said school board president Scott Cooper. "We had hoped we had communicated the need to the community to be able to move forward."

Other districts

In the Nell Holcomb School District, voters re-elected Karen Fornkahl and Dean Reeves to the school board. Fornkahl has served 19 years on the school board. Fornkhahl received 39 votes, Reeves had 39, followed by Kelly Glueck with 18 and Larry Simon with 17 votes.

Voters in the Scott City School District re-elected Debbi Miller and elected David Gene Thompson to the board.

Thompson beat out incumbent Lisa Schaefer by three votes. Miller and Thompson each received 136 votes. Schaefer had 133 votes, followed by Terry Johnston with 79 votes.

Voters in the Kelly School District elected John Felter and Kindel Ward to the school board from a field of six candidates that included incumbents Tony Powell and Janet Lee Kline. Felter received the most votes with 226. Ward had 209, followed by Powell and Kline, each with 187; Tammy Waddlington, 143, and Gary Wallace, 64.

In the Leopold school board election, voters elected Roger Bucher and Bryan Stroder from a field of five candidates. Bucher received 115 votes. Stroder had 79, followed by Cindy Wolpers with 66, Cindy Koenig with 22 and Danny James with 12.

In the Woodland School District, voters re-elected incumbents Van Greer and Lottie James to the school board. Van Greer garnered 237 votes. James had 214 followed by Dale Long with 194.

Voters in the Meadow Heights School District re-elected Karla Kiefer and Dennis Mouser to the school board. Kiefer had 184 votes, followed by Mouser with 179 and Dalton Denman with 174.

In the Zalma School District, voters re-elected Mike Hovis and elected Jim Beal Jr. Hovis received 94 votes; Beal, 91; and Aaron Lemons, 33.

In the Altenburg School District, voters elected Thomas Scheiter and Rick Sachs, and re-elected Harold France to the school board. Scheiter received 202 votes. France had 201; Sachs, 179; Troy Martin, 161; and Gregory Winschel, 150.

In the Perryville school board election, voters re-elected Judi Wibbenmeyer and Tina Littge. Wibbenmeyer received 1,454 votes. Littge had 1,449 votes; James Tolcou had 519 votes.

In the Advance School District, voters elected David Kennedy and Paul McFerron. Kennedy had 220 votes. McFerron had 184. John Johnson Jr. received 146 votes followed by Ronnie McAtee with 91 votes and David Payne with 57 votes.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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