LA PORTE CITY – Following the narrow failure of Union Community School District’s $20.5 million bond referendum on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Superintendent John Howard sent a letter to district families. The letter is printed in full below.

Dear Families,

I want to thank our community members for their consideration of the general obligation bond issue that was on the ballot Tuesday, November 5. Unofficial results from county auditors show that the measure was just six votes short of the 60% approval required to pass, per Iowa state law.

The preliminary tally shows 2,012 votes in favor of the bond (59.85%), compared to 1,350 against (40.15%). The official vote totals will not be known until a second canvassing of ballots is completed by county auditors in the next two weeks.

We are still evaluating potential options for the district to take because of the narrow vote margin. However, should the unofficial results ultimately be confirmed, the result would be Union not moving forward with the proposed improvement plans at all four of our campuses at this time.

In the months leading up to election day, we strived to engage with residents and help them understand the facility challenges our students and staff face every day. Many conversations were had and valuable feedback was received. Engaging with our residents will continue to be a point of emphasis as we move forward.

For now, we thank you for your participation in this important conversation and your consideration of the bond issue on Tuesday. We look forward to working with all to positively address our facility needs going forward. Go Knights!

Sincerely,

John Howard, Superintendent