Published: May 15, 2008 11:35 am         

Bad timing

Second failure of school levy no surprise

Timing is often everything. That is why it came as no big surprise when the Mineral County school bond issue failed in Tuesday's election.

Although the levy vote was close (1,558 for and 1,701 against) when it first was proposed on Feb. 2, the measure was defeated far more soundly the second time around. Tuesday's unofficial numbers show the levy failing by a vote of 4,194 to 2,958.

Given the never-ending escalation of gasoline and food prices, among other things, it is no wonder voters did not want to take on an additional debt like the school levy.

Nonetheless, Mineral education officials and other leaders made a good case for spending more money on schools. Had the levy passed, Mineral would have received more than $9 million of state money over the next two years.

The additional money would have enabled the county to go ahead with plans for a new Keyser Primary School along with renovations at Frankfort Intermediate, Wiley Ford Primary, Keyser Middle (currently Keyser Primary Middle School) and Burlington Primary.

Now the future is uncertain and the school board will have to see how, or whether, it can keep all of its small neighborhood schools open.

Mineral Countians have spoken. It is now up to school officials to do the best they can under the constraints placed upon them by the electorate.