Shelley High School Bond fails, Again!

SHELLEY – Once again, a majority of people voted down the multimillion-dollar Shelley High School Bond.

The Shelley school district has twice asked its patrons to pass a bond for a new high school. Each time, it has failed to receive a majority of the vote. In Idaho, a two-thirds majority is required for a bond to pass.

According to the Bingham County Election Office, the $78.64 million bond election results showed that 687 people (36.68%) favored the bond, 1186 people (63.32%) voted against it, and 1873 people voted.

In the last bond election, 880 people (48.40%) voted in favor of the bond, 938 people (51.40%) voted against it, and 1818 people voted. East Idaho News said the last bond election was held in November 2023 for $67.8 million.

“I am disappointed,” Steve Thyberg, a bond supporter, said. “Although the price tag was high, we followed what the people said about the last election, they wanted an auditorium and a CTE building included with the high school.”

Thyberg continued, “I would like those detractors (in this past election cycle) to serve on the building committee and offer their ideas on solving this overcrowding problem. But for now, we have to move forward by getting back to work and trying to find a solution to this problem.”

Lisa Marlo, School District Board Chairman, said, “I am disappointed. The people on the building committee worked very hard on this proposal. We’ll have to go back and address the growth in our community and find a solution to the overcrowding in our schools.”

In addition to the bond election, the Bingham County Ambulance District Temporary Override Levy easily passed with 2423 people (67.10%) voting in favor of the levy while 1188 (32.90%) voted against it.

According to the Bingham County Election Office, Amy Christensen, Carol Frongner, and Barbara D Morrison received the majority of the votes to sit on the North Bingham County Library Board for the next four years.