Voters in Grays Harbor and Mason counties last Tuesday, Nov. 7, rejected a bond measure intended to fund new school construction in the Mary M. Knight School District.

Between the two counties, 98 voters (34.75 percent) approved the measure while 184 (65.25 percent) were opposed.

The proposed school construction bond would have raised nearly $7.4 million to be paid over 20 years in order to fund construction of a new elementary school along with upgrades to the district’s junior/senior high school.

The existing elementary school would have been used for storage, office space, and community use, according to the district’s plan.

Last winter the heating systems in both school buildings failed, resulting in a number of days during which classes were canceled while repair work was undertaken.

Other maintenance and repair issues described by the district include bathrooms and building access points that are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, aging plumbing systems, electrical systems insufficient to support today’s technology needs, and problems with the septic system shared by both schools. Neither school has a sprinkler system because it wasn’t required by code at the time of construction.

Because of the urgent nature of the work needed, repairs to the septic system and replacement of both heating systems were undertaken by the district using existing financial resources and a 10-year financing plan that did not require voter approval. Those were not included in the bond proposal.

“Your board has done everything within its ability to fund critically needed repairs, but the remaining upgrades and construction needs are beyond our current financial ability without taxpayer assistance,” school board President Shawn Donnelly wrote in a statement published in a recent school district newsletter.

The Mary M. Knight district’s elementary building was built in 1963. The high school was built in 1979. District officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the bond failure.