<div>One thing is clear from the recent defeat of Hutchinson Public Schools' latest bond issue.It's much easier to accept a 75% turndown from a year ago than losing by 130 votes. The greatly scaled back $36 million plan garnered 4,639 yes ballots while 4,769 said no.The proposition called for no property tax increase to fund a host of such repairs as roofs, heating and air conditioning upgrades that somehow will have to eventually be done. Clearly, however, a large number of voters are more than tired of overall higher property taxes and appraised home valuations going up.I supported the latest proposal, feeling it had slightly more pros than cons despite a questionable decision to include about $12 million for second gymnasiums at three elementary schools that seemed to me nice but far from necessary in these troubled economic times for many families.Some voters said no because defeat means a rare but substantial property tax decrease in another year as a 20-year-old bond issue pays out and makes way for a 7.7 mill drop for the 2028 budget.Contrary to what some bond opponents promoted and are expecting, that reduction could be shaved if the school board does the expected: Raise its capital outlay, property tax-funded levy to the maximum 8 mills allowed by state law without an election.That would trim bond issue savings by about 2.5 mills and would allow additional maintenance that school officials say is needed more quickly to avoid ever increasing construction inflation.The mid-term election did provide us with many more voters than what happened last year when the turnout was only 23% with just under 5,000 voting on school bonds compared with 9,408 casting ballots this time and a whopping 52% turnout.I believe another factor in why the USD 308 bonds have failed twice is that many voters still don't trust the school administration that has been less than fully transparent, championed a variety of unpopular moves, including eliminating all elementary schools south of 7th Street and has only a part-time superintendent who doesn't live in the school district.Also keep in mind that while some test scores have improved and appear headed in a positive direction, Hutchinson remains behind many grade level standards, causing some to argue the emphasis should be on classroom learning rather than new construction.Considering the poverty and low income level in the school district's tax base, it's not a big shock that some voters chose to say no as affordability and higher costs cause more people into paycheck to paycheck finances.Dawn Johnson, who split time between being superintendent and an Army General needing to travel to Florida and other states frequently, will be "retiring" after this school year. That will give the board an opportunity for better leadership.Getting someone with a proven track record who is not among the current administrative mess will go a long way toward reining in dissatisfaction and should lead to restoring the kind of trust that helps pass future bond issues.The school board budgeted another $15,000 for promoting this latest issue spending on informational printed brochures, mailings and a handful of pubic meetings that few attended. Before that, $28,500 was spent on a survey by St. Louis consultants to sample what went wrong in the first election and how to craft the latest proposal.All totaled, about $44,000 of your tax dollars went into the Nov. 3rd effort.At least this time, there were no new "support the kids" yard signs financed by tax money. Pro and con citizen groups nearly equally divided about $2,700 in radio and billboard ads with the school district paying $200 for radio promotion of its public meetings.Highlands disses road improvements, and voters reject Kyler SweelyNorth of Hutchinson in the small city of Highlands, officials found little enthusiasm for $500,000 in badly needed road improvements. The bonds were shot down by 152 to 90.A bright spot from Reno County's recent election was former state legislator Jason Probst winning by about 400 votes over Kyler Sweely. The two-year incumbent couldn't shake his carpet-bagger image largely because he seemed to live much more in Newton or Wichita.The state couldn't even find him to deliver a Topeka parking ticket, causing Probst and others to hammer him for having few ties to the 102nd Hutchinson district.Dan Deming, former general manager of Hutchinson radio station KWBW and former Reno County commissioner, can be reached at 620-960-6733 or dan.deming2@gmail.com.This article originally appeared on The Hutchinson News: Trust issues sink Hutchinson school bond proposal | OpinionReporting by Dan Deming, Special to The Hutchinson News / The Hutchinson NewsUSA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectCopyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect</div>

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One thing is clear from the recent defeat of Hutchinson Public Schools' latest bond issue. It's much easier to accept a 75% turndown from a year ago than losing by 130 votes. The greatly scaled back $36 million plan garnered 4,639 yes ballots while 4,769 said no. The proposition called...

Trust issues sink Hutchinson school bond proposal | Opinion

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One thing is clear from the recent defeat of Hutchinson Public Schools' latest bond issue. It's much easier to accept a 75% turndown from a year ago than l

Trust issues sink Hutchinson school bond proposal | Opinion

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