West Fargo Public Schools referendum voted down

(WEST FARGO) -- Voters in the West Fargo Public School District took to the polls today to decide a $147 million bond referendum.

According to district officials, the voters defeated the referendum. The final tally showed 1,926 against the referendum and 1,915 in favor of the proposed referendum.

"I believe that West Fargo Public Schools is home to incredibly dedicated stakeholders," Superintendent Beth Slette said in a statement. "They have come to the table to ask tough questions, suggest solutions, and hold us accountable. That engagement and support is the reason we were able to pass referendums in 2011, 2015, and 2018.  While we were not successful tonight, I believe that this is NOT an indication of a lack of support for our education system.  Our job now is to reconvene a taskforce, made up of new and returning perspectives, to help chart our next steps. We also need to engage our community to better understand why voter turnout was low when compared to previous elections."

The Board will canvass the results at their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, October 9.