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Idaho Enterprise

School Bond Passes with 86% of Vote in Favor

Jon Abrams spoke with the Oneida County Deputies the week before the bond election.

After months of lead up, and two previously failed bonds beforehand, a vote to approve the Bond Equalization for Malad School District 351 was passed by Oneida County voters by 1270 votes in favor to 195 votes against.  

Despite the fact that the vote had been relocated to the high school from the Event Center due to muddy conditions, voter turnout was reported to have been steady throughout the day, and the high interest level in the issue was reflected in the numbers.

The bond had been heavily promoted by the School District, the PTO, the City and County, and other concerned parties.  

During the lead up to the vote, Superintendent Jon Abrams held many meetings with groups to spread information and answer questions about the bond funding, the need for a new school, and plans for the future timeline.  In addition to a public hearing on the bond, Abrams spoke to the Oneida Deputies, seniors, parents groups, and many others. 

During the meeting with the Oneida Deputies John Williams, director of the Nell J Redfield Memorial Hospital, stressed the point that the condition of the current school created issues that a lot of people didn’t think about but which affected the community negatively.  Highly skilled health care workers, he noted, had decided not to move to Malad in the past, based on the school facilities among other factors.

Mayor Hawkins echoed those sentiments, and further suggested that it was also a reason some businesses had elected not to move into town.  “I don’t think people realize how important a good school building is to a town in so many ways,” she said following the election.  “I’m just thrilled that this happened.  This is going to be a great thing for our community!”

Following the election, Abrams spoke with the Enterprise about the results.  “I am thrilled with the high percentage of voters supporting the bond,” he said.  “I hope that it's a reflection of our efforts to educate the voter. I enjoyed meeting with the different groups. I also appreciate the many groups that came together to help the educational process—a big shout-out to the newspaper to the Malad Elementary PTO for spreading the word about the election.”

Although the relief of having the bond pass is still settling in, Abrams is clear that the next steps are already being undertaken.  “The Idaho division of building safety is currently reviewing the plan. Once the plans have been reviewed and approved, we will bid all the different scopes of the project. Every aspect of the project will be bid. Our construction manager works with us to oversee the bidding process,” Abrams said.

As to the ultimate timeline for the construction of the school, the weather has created some delays in the ability to plan some of the steps, as it has for many other activities in the valley.  Spring outdoor sports season, for instance, have also been impacted by frozen and snow-covered ground.  Still, Abrams predicts the delays will not be hugely significant in the long run.  “In meetings, I mentioned that the timeline was very aggressive,” Abrams said. “This much-needed snow and rain have already pushed back that timeline some. We need the water, so I'm certainly not complaining. Many things factor into staying on the timeline, from getting supplies to finding workers and the weather, to name a few. We will do the best we can to adhere to the timeline but not at the expense of doing it right. This school will be around for a long time, and we want to ensure we get it right!”  Given the monumental longterm effort that went into finally passing a bond for a new school, everyone involved is invested in making sure the quality of the project is as high as possible.

As others around the community have echoed over the last week, Abrams expressed his confidence in the school staff to adjust to the transition year of construction, and the positives that the new school will bring.  “I want to emphasize that great things have happened and will continue to happen at Malad Elementary. We have an outstanding staff who are doing a fantastic job. As a district, we look forward to providing them with a school that with enhance technology and classrooms that are not too hot, not to cold, but just right. The new building will also address every aspect of safety, from the stability of the structure to access of the school,” Abrams said.

During his presentation to the Oneida Deputies, one of the topics that generated a lot of discussion was on the need for the improved safety and security built into the new school from day one.  Those in attendance expressed the necessity of the safety features the new school will be constructed with, lamenting the need for such features but agreeing that they are necessary in 2023.  The school will have coordinated lockdown ability from the main office, which will also serve as the single entry point during school hours.  Currently, the many entrances to the building create some safety concerns, although they have been handled as well as possible given the limitations of the older construction plan.

Looking forward to the other aspect of the bond, Abrams explained that “We are also finalizing the baseball and softball complex plans across from Malad High School. The goal is to complete this summer project and prepare them for next spring. The bond also included money for designing a field house and auditorium. We are anxious to get started on those projects.”

As the process begins to move forward to the realization of a brand new, modern educational facility for the community, Abrams stated that “I want to express gratitude for the community's confidence in passing the bond. We look forward to making it in these projects something that the community can be proud of for years to come.”

If the plans move forward according to the timeline laid out in the planning stages, construction on the new school should begin as soon as the plans are approved, with hopes to be first opened for the 2024-2025 school year.