10:55 p.m. update: Middleton’s $19.9 million bond fails

Middleton’s $19.9 million bond failed with 53% support, short of the nearly 67% needed. The bond would have funded a new elementary school, which school leaders said was needed to relieve overcrowding.

It was the third — and final — bond failure of the evening. Shelley, Filer and Middleton sought a combined $150.5 million in bonds for new schools and facilities improvements, and in each case voters rejected the ask.

As of 10:54 p.m. Tuesday, levies were faring better; ten had passed and two had failed. Get the latest levy results here.

9:42 p.m. update: Filer’s $52 million bond fails

Voters rejected Filer School District’s $52 million bond with just 22% support, far short of the nearly 67% needed. The bond would have funded a new middle school, expansions to the high school and nearby career-technical education building and improvements to the high school’s football field and track.

Shelley School District’s $76.8 million bond ask also failed. Results are still rolling in for Middleton’s bond, the only other ask of its kind on an Idaho ballot this election.

9:38 p.m. update: Shelley’s $78.6 million bond fails

Voters rejected Shelley’s $78.6 million bond ask — this election’s biggest school ask — with just 38% voting in favor of the measure, short of the required two-thirds supermajority approval. 

The bond would have funded a new high school and CTE center, as well as facilities upgrades. 

It’s Shelley School District’s second bond failure in two school years. 

Filer and Middleton also have bonds on the ballot tonight. Keep checking back for updates as results come in.

9:30 p.m. update:

Early results indicate that Shelley’s $78.6 million bond ask — this election’s biggest school measure — will fail. With 77% of precincts reporting, just 23% of voters had supported the measure. Bonds require two-thirds approval, or about 67%.

8 p.m. update:

Three Idaho school districts are seeking a combined $150.5 million in bonds Tuesday. 

If approved, Shelley, Filer and Middleton’s bonds would fund new schools and facilities upgrades.

Shelley’s $78.6 million ask is this Election Day’s largest school ask, followed by Filer’s $52 million bond measure and Middleton’s $19.9 million request. 

Bonds are especially unlikely to pass in Idaho, which has one of the highest approval thresholds in the nation — two-thirds of voters, or nearly 67%, must approve a bond. From 2020 through 2024, only 26% of school bonds have passed statewide.

Twenty-five school districts are also seeking more than $74 million in levies, combined. Get those results here. 

All together, school leaders are seeking nearly $224 million this election. 

Polls close at 8 p.m. EdNews will be tracking the results as they come in, so check back for updates. For more details on each bond, read below. 

All results are unofficial.

Shelley asks for $78 million bond to build new high school, CTE center

Shelley, which serves just under 2,500 students, is asking again for funds to do a total facilities update after a failed bond measure in November 2023. 

The district’s current high school is the most over capacity of its schools with three modular buildings already in use. The district has three other schools at full capacity along with two nearly full elementary schools, according to the district’s website.

If the bond passes, the district would get a new high school, expected to open in 2029, along with a career-technical education facility. 

The new high school would be about 40,000 square feet larger with eight new classrooms and a science lab. The career-technical building would have 11 classrooms and four shops along with an auditorium that would seat 600.

What: A $78 million, 20-year bond.

What’s at stake? The funds would pay for the construction and outfitting of a new high school and career technical education facility. It would also pay for renovations to other schools.

Impact: The bond would cost taxpayers $423 per $100,000 of assessed value, before state property tax relief. Bonds need a supermajority or 66.7% of the vote to pass. See a sample ballot here.

Election result: Failed

Filer asks for $52 million to build middle school, sports complex and expand CTE

Filer School District, located outside of Twin Falls, hopes to build a new middle school on the same campus as their intermediate and elementary schools. The district serves about 1,550 students.

The bond would also fund an expansion to the high school and nearby career-technical education building and improvements to the high school’s football field and track. 

The district has not passed a bond since 2008 when it built the intermediate school that currently serves fourth- through sixth-graders. 

If the bond passes, the middle school would serve grades 6-8, the intermediate school would include grades 3-5 and the elementary school would house pre-K through second grade. 

The new school will cost $41.1 million.

At the high school, the CTE building would expand, freeing up classrooms in the high school. Then a new multipurpose facility would be added to the high school. The space would allow for the district to hold graduation ceremonies in house instead of at the College of Southern Idaho. 

The expansions would cost $9.4 million.

Finally, the district’s football field and track would get a refresh. Currently, Schroeder said, there’s a mound in the middle of the football field and the track likely will be unable to accommodate competitions in the near future. The refresh would cost $1.5 million. 

What: A $52 million, 20-year bond.

What’s at stake? The district would have room to grow with more space in the new middle school. The high school facility expansion would allow the district to host sporting events and graduation ceremonies. 

Impact: The bond would cost taxpayers about $380 per $100,000 of assessed value. Bonds need a supermajority or 66.7% of the vote to pass. See a sample ballot here.

Election result: Failed

Middleton asks for $19.9 million to build new elementary school and relieve overcrowding

Middleton School District, located just outside of Boise, has not built a new school since 2008. Two of the district’s three elementary schools are over capacity and the third is 90% full. 

 The district continues to expand as area towns like Middleton and Star continue to grow, Superintendent Marc Gee said. “We just need to catch up.” 

The planned new elementary school would be more safe and secure, Gee said. 

Like many districts statewide, Middleton has struggled to pass a bond in recent years. The May ask is a result of reworking a failed $59.4 million bond ask from 2022. The total cost of the elementary school is about $28 million but the district would use $8 million from the 2024 state school facilities law, House Bill 521, to offset the local ask. 

What: A $19.9 million, 20-year bond.

What’s at stake? The growing district is over capacity at two of its three elementary schools. The district plans to build a new school with a capacity of 600 to 700 to set up the district for future growth. 

Impact: The bond would cost taxpayers about $34 per $100,000 of assessed value next year. Bonds need a supermajority or 66.7% of the vote to pass. See a sample ballot here. 

Election result: Failed

EdNews reporter Emma Epperly and data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report.