West Sioux bond would replace 1961 Ireton addition

There’s apparently a 1921 school hiding somewhere in Ireton. It’s not readily visible, but something from that year would get renovations, according to West Sioux’s plans for a bond referendum.

Aerial photos show that a building that was there in the 1930s and 1950s isn’t there now, but there could be a remaining portion.

The 1961 addition, however, wouldn’t be so lucky. The FAQ says windows in that addition have been boarded up because they are 62 years old and bond referendums to replace them have failed twice. Renderings on the West Sioux website show an addition that is thematically architecturally similar, but attached north of the gymnasium instead.

This bond missed a supermajority by 10 votes in March, and the cost has increased from $15 million to $15.5 million. A different bond vote, which would have put all students in fifth grade and lower in a new building in Ireton, also narrowly failed to reach a supermajority in March 2022. Very notably, the FAQ says inflation has outpaced the district’s bonding capacity, which means replacement of the Ireton building is out of reach.

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