Tuesday’s school board election for the Greene County Community School District brought a higher than normal voter turnout.

A total of 1,627 ballots were cast of the 5,688 registered voters in the school district for just over 26 percent voter turnout.  Absentee ballots accounted for close to seven percent of the total vote with 394 ballots.  The last school board election was in 2013 and the former Jefferson-Scranton School District drew a 12 percent voter turnout with 545 ballots and the former East Greene School District had a 10.85 percent voter turnout with 125 ballots cast.

A special $20 million bond referendum was also on the ballot, which resulted in 975 No votes to 649 Yes votes.  The Grand Junction precinct was 207 No votes to only 36 Yes votes.  Rippey voted 66 No to 25 Yes.  Jefferson’s precinct had 613, or just over 52 percent, not in favor to 547 who were in favor.  Scranton had 89 No votes to 41 Yes votes.  Deputy Auditor Billie Jo Hoskins says the last school bond referendum was in May of 1990.  The 20 year bond was for $3.95 million for the elementary school and it passed the first time it was on the ballot with 67 percent to 33 percent approval.

According to Iowa code, the canvass of votes must occur by Friday following a school board election, due to the community colleges conducting their canvass the following week.  The Greene County Board of Supervisors will canvass the votes on Friday at 9:30am in the boardroom of the courthouse in Jefferson.