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April 29, 2008

$33.5 million proposal passes by 400 votes

Elementary construction to begin in 2009

By Tanner Kent

MANKATO — Precinct by precinct, the votes on the Mankato Area School District’s $33.5 million bond referendum trickled in Tuesday night.

The Franklin Elementary precinct — which was among the first to report — voted against the measure 480-401. Vote tallies at the Taylor Center and the Intergovernmental Center were supportive, but close.

School Board chairperson Ann Hendricks joked about needing Advil or Rolaids, depending on the outcome. Supt. Ed Waltman noted that voter turnouts mirrored those of the November operating referendum.

No one, however, dared predict the outcome.

But as more precincts reported, the end result became clear. Only two turned down the referendum — the Madison Lake precinct was the other — as the measure passed 3,112 to 2,712.

“There probably couldn’t have been a more difficult time for our citizens to say yes,” Waltman said. “We are so appreciative of the support they’ve given consistently over the years.”



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