Voters give approval to $8 million bond issue for school improvements

Published 10:32 pm Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Less than 10 percent of the qualified voters in the Brookhaven School District cast votes Tuesday concerning an $8 million bond note, but enough of those check marks were in favor of it so it passed easily.

Out of four precincts, 768 votes — or 78.45 percent —were cast for the bond, while 211 votes — or 21.55 percent — were against it, said Lincoln County Circuit Clerk Dustin Bairfield. That’s 979 individuals out of just over 10,000 qualified to vote who went to the polls. Bairfield had expected at least 2,000 voters to visit the polls Tuesday. Forty-three absentee votes were cast prior to Tuesday’s vote.

In order to pass, at least 60 percent of the votes needed to be cast in favor of the proposition.

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Brookhaven School Superintendent Ray Carlock waited in the Lincoln County Circuit Courtroom to watch the polling boxes return to be counted Tuesday night.

“Thank you to the Brookhaven community for voting in favor of the Brookhaven School District bond issue today,” he said after Bairfield announced the results. “The monies from the bond will be used to fund the much-needed facility improvements in our schools. Our goal is to provide a superb education in a safe environment that will enable our students to be successful in their chosen fields of endeavor.”

He said passing this bond issue is a step forward in that direction.

“Today showed that everyone truly takes pride in saying ‘We are Ole Brook,’” he said.