NICKERSON, Kan. — There were those in the Nickerson USD 309 School District who felt the proposed $29.9 million bond issue was too much for the small school system. Some of them were on the school board and some were even on the steering committee.

In the end, they were right. Patrons soundly defeated the proposal in Tuesday’s election 1,613 no votes to just 413 yes.

While many in the district were not against a bond issue, there were those who felt it was simply too much of a tax increase and too long of a bond issue.

Then-Superintendent Dawn Johnson and some of the steering committee tried to sway the board into bringing two separate bond questions to the voters, but in a nearly even split, the board approved the single question 4-3.

Where the bond issue goes from here remains to be seen, but it is back to square one for a district that had been working to bring this to a vote for more than a year.

If approved, the funds would have made major renovations and expansion to South Hutch Elementary School, some minor improvements at Reno Valley Middle School and made improvements to the science lab and auditorium at Nickerson High School.