By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 $143.5 million school bond passed Tuesday with 3,239 voters voting for the bond and 2,773 voting against it.
A question that would help pay for the bond with a half-cent city of Hays sales tax also passed with 3,025 voters voting for the question and 2,036 voters voting against it.
Lincoln Elementary School and Rockwell Administration Center will be closed. Westside school will be relocated.
"The community has shown up and shown they want to invest in kids, they want to invest in staff and they want to invest in the community," Superintendent Ron Wilson said Tuesday night.
He said he appreciated all the effort that had been put in by many people during the last eight months.
"Good things are going to happen for the community of Hays because of this," Wilson said.
Wilson said the voter turnout was exceptional. Voter turnout was almost 38 percent.
The vote will not be official until the canvas at 8 a.m. May 16.
Ellis County Clerk Bobbi Dreiling said 80 provisional ballots will have to be reviewed during the canvas. Mail-in ballots can also be accepted up to three days after Election Day if they are postmarked by Election Day.
Hays USD 489 had unsuccessful bond attempts in 2016 and 2017.
See more on the bond election on Wednesday Hays Post. Corrected 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to clarify Lincoln Elementary School will be closed as part of the bond issue.