Washington Community Schools Superintendent Willie Stone is elated by the middle school bond referendum that overwhelmingly passed with about 75% of the vote this week.

The district needed at least 60% of votes in favor to issue up to $25 million in bonds to relocate their middle school with a renovation of part of the high school and four additions. Stone thanks the referendum committee and others who put in the work to pass the measure, as well as the community members who voiced that they wanted better for their kids. Stone believes the district’s methods of holding two sets of surveys to weigh the public’s opinion on four proposed options for the middle school students helped gain their trust, “I think people saw that we were trying to be very transparent and as I said when I was presenting all along I didn’t care what we did as long as we did something and our kids deserve something. It’s just been amazing that our community came out and supported it at the level they did. That was just amazing, it’s hard to even explain.”

Now the district begins planning for this facility that won’t begin construction until 2023 as that is when the bonds will be issued. Stone says there is a two-phase construction plan starting with the two-story and single-story additions and then the renovation of the old junior high wing of the building, with students set to begin classes in the new building in fall of 2025.