Voters reject Pulaski school referendum

PULASKI - It looks like it's back to square one for the Pulaski School District.

Tuesday night voters rejected a $33.2 million referendum.

The money would have paid for school upgrades and new athletic facilities.

"Looking at it, there are needs versus wants," explained parent Chad Nehring.

Nehring was one of the more than 6,600 district residents to vote against the Pulaski School District referendum Tuesday.

Under the referendum, nearly every school in the district would have received property and technology upgrades.

But around $12 million would have gone toward a new pool and a multi-purpose sports complex.

That's what voters, like Nehring, didn't like.

"I believe it was the right decision especially when you look at the amount of senior citizens that we have, the amount of fixed income. And I don't think they're necessarily willing, nor do I think they should have to pay for "wants" right now," Nehring.

"The board had multiple decisions and decided to go with one question before the board felt strongly that it was all needed," explained Pulaski Superintendent Mel Lightner.

Lightner says he was disappointed with the vote.

So what's Plan B? Lightner says that's what the district is trying to figure out.

 "We're going to have to look at the yearly-operating budget, and like most school districts, we really have a hard time really being innovative and adding extra things and there's not a lot of room in the budget," Lightner said. "So we're going look however where we can maximize anything, we'll have to possibly shift money around if we want new technologies, if we want more upgrades but that's a process too."

Lightner says that could take some time. This proposal took about five years to put together.

But Lightner says any future planning will again involve the public.

"I believe you're going to have to have extensive feedback in the years to come, before you ever, if ever, try anything again," Lightner said.

Whether that would involve another referendum, he says that remains to be seen.