By Alan Van Ormer
Tribune editor

Voters decided once again that an elementary school should not be built in Dell Rapids.
It is the fourth time that the voters have defeated a bond election that would have allowed the Dell Rapids School District to build a school that officials believe would help meet the basic needs for student safety and meet the basic needs for academic achievement.
A disappointed Dell Rapids Board of Education President Alan Blankenfeld did not know what to say after the results were known. “There were a lot more voters, better turnout and more support,” he said. “We will discuss it at the next board meeting to see where we are going from here.”
Board of Education Vice President Steve Munk said it is the closest vote that it has ever been. “That is a positive,” he said. “I really appreciate the effort that everyone put into it.”
Those opposing the bond election have felt that the Board of Education could still do some more cutting on the size of the school. Others have believed that now is not the time to raise taxes because of the economy. They were also concerned about the design of the building.
Jim Brown, who believes the school is still too expensive, said he is glad the vote failed. “The bond is too high priced,” Brown said. “Anybody paying taxes in this day and age, it is difficult for them. The whole economy is in the dumps.”
Brown asked if other schools in the area can build schools for less, why can’t Dell Rapids? “The way the building is designed is too extravagant,” he said. “They don’t use good common sense as far as I’m concerned.”
The voter turnout was the largest one to date and the closest. Unofficially, 59.72 percent voted for the elementary school, while 40.28 percent voted against the bond election. By state law, a 60 percent vote is needed to pass.
According to School Superintendent Tom Ludens, the assumption is that it has to be to 60 percent to pass. The school district will double-check the numbers and the Dell Rapids Board of Education will canvass the votes at its next meeting.
There were 1,161 voters that wanted an elementary school built and 783 that did not want a school built
The total number of voters for the elections was 1,944 voters or 54 percent of the registered voters in the school district. The third election had a 42 percent voter turnout.
The election superintendents told Business Manager Barb Littel that there was a steady stream of voters throughout the day.
Walt and Marianne Brandner conducted their voting in the afternoon.
“The children need a school,” Marianne Brandner said. “The cost of building a school will eventually rise. It will become more expensive as the years go by.”
Her husband, Walt said the town is growing. “No one likes to pay all the taxes, but we need to in order for our community to grow,” he said.
The proposal that was defeated on Monday was for an estimated $10.999 million to construct an 82,038 square foot facility, raising the tax levy $1.37 per $1,000 of valuation. It included shaving off 3,000 square feet from the original size of the building from the last election.
It also includes cutting parking spots from 175 to 100, reducing the cost of per square footage from $120 to $117 and reducing the architecture and engineering fees by 1 percent to 6.25 percent.
Three other times the bond election was defeated – the latest being in April when the voters in the Dell Rapids School District rejected passage of a $13.5 million bond to build an elementary school. Eight hundred and fifteen voters or 52.1 percent voted for the bond, while 749 or 47.9 percent voted against bonding for the elementary school. By state law, the bond election failed because 60 percent of voters must approve a bond election.
In May 2008, voters rejected a bond election for an elementary school and additions to the high school. More than 52 percent or 868 voters favored the bond and 793 voted against it.
A second bond election was held in September 2008 for an elementary school and addition to the high school. In that election, 50.47 percent or 868 voters were in favor of the bond, while 851 voted against the bond.
After the last bond election failed, the school board tried a different tactic by hiring Hildebrand Strategies, a consulting agency, to assist the school district in providing information to the public on the bond election.
The strategy included providing informational material for a power point presentation for two public meetings, providing posters, producing theatre ads, setting up automated callers at three different times over a two-week period and setting up a toll free hot line to answer questions.
Blankenfeld said the hot line, as well as the other strategies, had an impact on the vote.
“It helped make voters aware of the facts associated with the bond election,” he said. “Getting the correct information out was a concern to us.”
Neither school board member knows what the next step will be.
“The need is still there,” Munk said. “We will be looking at round number five.”