North Vegas Times

Elko County voters will decide Dec. 14 if the School District should take out $150 million in bonds for building, repairing and maintaining educational buildings within the next six years. 

Voters can cast their ballots as soon as this weekend by mail or in person, according to The Nevada Independent. If the measure is approved, it won't adjust the property tax rate but will change the proceeds that are earmarked for capital improvement projects for the Elko County School District. 

“Supporters say if the ballot measure fails, Elko County School District will have to dip into its general fund for building projects and upgrades, leaving less money for staffing and affecting class sizes," The Nevada Independent said in a Nov. 23 tweet. "Opponents worry about oversight of the spending.”

Voters who support the ballot are saying the bonds are essential for the school buildings continuing once the "pay-as-you-go" runs out, The Nevada Independent reported.

“I'm going to fight for whatever is going to help my school district,” Tammie Cracraft Dickenson, a former school board trustee and mother of two students, told The Nevada Independent. “And I’ve never heard of a school district succeeding after having its funding cut in any way.”

A wish list presented during a previous school board meeting for capital improvement projects for 2021 through 2032 included updates to many K-12 schools and gymnasiums, according to The Nevada Independent.

Those who oppose the measure say they've lost faith in the Elmo County School District after five of seven board members resigned this summer after mask and quarantine mandates in schools. Four people were appointed to fill most of the resigned seats.

“There hasn’t been enough time for folks to get that trust rebuilt,” said Daniel Corona, mayor of West Wendover told The Nevada Independent. “It’s hard to give someone a $150 million blank check when you don’t trust them.”