School obtains signatures for election
The required signatures for the Red Oak School Board’s petition for the upcoming bond issue vote have been obtained.
At a recent board meeting, the board approved the language to include on a ballot for the school bond issue on renovating the high school and Inman Primary facilities. To get it on the ballot, they needed a total of 811 signatures. According to spokesperson Abby Couse, as of Thursday, April 27, over 1,000 signatures had been obtained for the petition.
“The signatures will be presented to the board at their next regular meeting on May 8. Now that the signatures have been collected, word is being spread throughout
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Get answers to your questions from Tom Messinger at a community coffee May 6 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the high school.
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the community about the bond issue and what it will mean for community members, and the Red Oak School District,” Couse said.
School Board member Kathy Walker emphasized that while they have the required signatures to get the bond issue on the ballot, it doesn’t mean that the community is locked in to support its passing.
“It’s going to be on the ballot, but of course people are free to vote however they want. Just because they sign the petition, it doesn’t mean that they’re for it,” said Walker.
The high number of petition signatures was due to high voter turnout at the last election..
“We need 25 percent of the votes cast in the last election. That was the presidential election. We had 3,246 voters in the last election, so this number is 25 percent of that,” Walker explained.
In addition, a group is being formed that will help provide information about the upcoming election through the radio, newspaper, brochures, pamphlets, social media websites, and town hall meetings. The group has been named “Helping Enhance Red Oak Education System, or HEROES 17.
Superintendent Tom Messinger will host a community coffee May 6 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the high school media center and will be available to answer questions regarding the bond issue. Couse said this meeting and all others that will follow ofer the next several weeks will allow for community members to attend and bring forth questions or concerns regarding the bond issue. “It is our goal over the next several weeks to ensure that anyone who has unanswered questions be able to feel as of they have been properly educated as to what this bond will entail,” Couse explained.