Bond battle lines drawn
Voters forward mixed slate of school candidates
Voters in the Lawrence school board primary delivered mixed signals Tuesday.
All three incumbent board members survived the primary election despite a strong showing by candidates opposed to the board’s plan to seek a $59 million bond and close elementary schools.
Four pro-bond and four antibond candidates emerged from the 13-candidate primary, making it difficult to tell whether the bond is gaining momentum with voters or sinking as the April 1 general election draws near.
“We’ve obviously got some divisions,” said Sue Morgan, an incumbent and bond supporter who captured the most votes in the primary. “It’s going to be an interesting five weeks.”
On April 1, voters in the Lawrence school district will decide which of eight primary winners will fill four open seats on the board.
That ballot also will allow voters to endorse or kill the board’s controversial plan to spend $59 million on school construction and renovation projects while simultaneously shutting East Heights and Centennial schools.
Leonard Ortiz, a bond opponent who tied for second with incumbent Scott Morgan, said the tight primary made it clear the school board race would go to the wire.
“It’s an indication of how close it’s going to be,” he said.
Trading stories while waiting for vote totals to be updated at the Douglas County Courthouse are, from left, retired banker Bob Georgeson, Sue Morgan and her husband, Jeff Morgan, and Lynn Goodell. Sue Morgan, a Lawrence school board incumbent, and Goodell, a candidate for Lawrence City Commission, advanced on Tuesday to the April 1 general election.
Ortiz can count on support of people like Brandon Hubbard, a Kansas University freshman who attended Centennial, South Junior High School and Lawrence High School.
Hubbard, voting at the polling station in school district headquarters, said he felt comfortable with only one candidate — Ortiz. He said Ortiz would add a distinctive voice to the board and fight the misguided bond initiative.
“They’re (current board) wasting money,” Hubbard said. “All they want is better buildings.”
Ortiz, Rich Minder, Cille King and Michael Pomes — all opposed to the bond and consolidation — will carry their fight to the general election.
“Pretty good for somebody who didn’t have any yard signs and a total budget under $200,” said Pomes, who finished eighth.
Incumbents Sue Morgan, Mary Loveland and Scott Morgan will continue to advocate for the bond plan they helped create. Their numbers are strengthened by candidate Cindy Yulich, who also supports the bond and consolidation.
Many still undecided
KU electrician Marvin Wiedeman, who voted at Pinckney School, said he was undecided about the bond proposal but fully supportive of the district’s elected leadership and educators working in the public schools.
School board candidate Mary Loveland, left.
He said his youngest son struggled in school, but nobody gave up on him.
“I like the way the school board handled it,” Wiedeman said. “They worked hard with him.”
The campaign from now until April Fools’ Day will be for the heart and mind of folks like Wiedeman who are undecided about the bond.
Linda Robinson, a school board member not facing re-election, said more energy must be devoted to convincing the public the bond was needed to pay for overdue improvements to schools.
“We have a crack that you can see light through at West Junior High,” she said. “Some of our schools need major work.”
“Too late” for bond
Jack Davidson, the only current board member to vote against the bond proposal, said Robinson and the others were too late. The bond campaign is lost, he said.
Rich Minder
“The reason is quite clear,” said Davidson, who didn’t seek re-election. “There’s probably going to be a city, county and, I believe, a state increase in taxes. And the school district is going to raise taxes? Who has that kind of money?”
Candidates not making the cut were Ron Powell, Gordon Longabach, Eddie Lehman, Brent Garner and Samuel Gould.
The board has proposed that $59 million in projects be paid off by issuing bonds that would be repaid over 20 years with property taxes.
Consolidation of elementary schools generated the most heat in the primary election. Under the bond, $4.6 million would be spent to expand Cordley School and $3.3 million to enlarge New York School. Both projects would create enough space to absorb students when Centennial and East Heights schools were closed.
The bond would finance the $20.7 million replacement for South Junior High School and $6.8 million to build a new Lawrence Alternative High School.
About $9 million would be spent to expand and renovate LHS and more than $7 million to replace portable classrooms at district schools.
| Unofficial winners (57 of 57 precincts reporting; 10,310 votes counted) | |||
| School board | City commission | ||
| Sue Morgan | 12.77% | Mike Rundle | 22.03% |
| Leonard Ortiz | 11.35% | Dennis “Boog” Highberger | 17.43% |
| Scott E. Morgan | 11.35% | David Schauner | 15.74% |
| Cindy Yulich | 11.03% | Lynn Goodell | 12.69% |
| Rich Minder | 10.82% | Lee Gerhard | 9.92% |
| Mary L. Loveland | 9.28% | Greg A. DiVilbiss | 7.56% |
| Cille King | 8.12% | ||
| Michael L. Pomes | 6.91% | ||
 View current unofficial results in full |
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6News video: School board candidates down to eight
Primary turnout nearly doubles 2001 voter tally