The Highland School District’s bond measure has unofficially passed, unless it is contested after the second canvass of votes. The $15-million bond measure was on the ballot in last week’s general election and needed 60% of the vote to pass. According to the unofficial initial results 61% of voters were in favor. However, it was discovered that at the Ainsworth polling place, some voters were given the incorrect ballots. At Wednesday’s Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting it was stated by Washington County Attorney Nathan Repp how the decision could be contested  “If there were any issue, it could be challenged in the District Court, so if there is a question as to whether you should still canvass the election, the answer is yes. It can still be canvassed. It is deemed valid unless invalidated at some point by the district court, and there is a mechanism for that in the code, that it could be challenged by petition. That petition would come from someone who has standing to contest that item of the election, the bond measure. That would be by the greater of ten eligible voters or a number of eligible electors equalling one percent of the total number of votes passed. In this case I think there were just over twenty-two hundred votes passed, so that would be the greater number of one percent. So as of this moment, that bond measure passed. If it’s not challenged at any point, the vote would be considered still valid.” The bond would cover renovating the high school cafeteria, a new multipurpose athletic facility and locker rooms at the high school, collaboration and classroom additions at the elementary school, and improved safe and secure entry at the elementary school. According to a letter to the district posted earlier this school year, Highland Superintendent Ken Crawford outlined that the bond issue will not be increasing taxes and is a “tax neutral bond issue,” as the district comes off the debt of the 2019 bond issue and replaces it with the same amount of debt service.