Putnam County school referendum appears to have failed

Putnam County residents decided Tuesday they do not want the school district to borrow money and move to a single campus in Granville, according to unofficial results.

The question on the ballot specifically asked: Shall the Board of Education of Putnam County Community Unit School District Number 535, Putnam, La Salle and Marshall Counties, Illinois, alter, repair and equip school buildings, including constructing security and health/life safety improvements, increasing classroom, cafeteria and gymnasium space and replacing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, improve school sites and issue its bonds to the amount of $34 million for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?

According to unofficial results, with all precincts counted, there were 1,630 voters that said no to the question and 1,220 that said yes.

A consolidation would have joined the high school and elementary school there, after the district has found its current facilities need more than $60 million in updates.

If the referendum had passed, the schools in Hennepin and McNabb would have been closed and renovations made to house all Putnam County district students at the existing Granville campus. The cost to make the move from the old buildings to a new facility will be about $34 million, but does not include the cost of improvements identified for the high school.