Columbia Falls High School $76M bond election fails for second time

The Columbia Falls School District 6 bond election to build a new high school failed to pass muster with voters Tuesday, with a preliminary tally of 2,430-1,547.

The school was seeking $75.9 million to renovate the 66-year-old high school. A bond election for $84.4 million also failed in November.

The district trimmed some expenses from the latest proposal, but the 25-year bond still would have had an increase of $321 annually for a primary home assessed for $600,000.

The school district argued that changes in state tax law, which favor primary residences, would mean a lower overall school tax.

Still, the majority of voters did not favor the bond, which would have paid for a complete remodel of the high school and added 30,000 square feet to the school for instructional space, as well as upgrades to the administration office and upgrades to athletic facilities.

"While this wasn't the result we hoped for, our mission doesn't end here," the community group Yes4CFHS posted. "We will continue to advocate for safety, opportunity, and better facilities for all of our Wildcats."

The school held its first classes in 1959 and still has fixtures and other infrastructure from that era, save for the classroom wing, which saw a remodel after the roof leaked while it was being replaced two years ago.