Voters in the Ralston Public Schools approved a $83.75 million bond issue Tuesday night, the district’s first bond issue in 20 years and one that officials say will serve students well into the future.
Unofficial results from the Douglas County Election Commission show it passing with nearly 64% of the vote.
The final tally from the mail-in election is likely to come next week.
The bond issue will pay for renovations and improvements at all eight schools in the district.
“Really we just couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome,” said school board President Mary Roarty. “We greatly appreciate the support of all the Ralston community, looking forward to the future Ralston projects. It’s going to be a really exciting time for us.”
Superintendent Mark Adler said he’s “super grateful.”
“Our community has spoken loudly in support of our kids,” Adler said.
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“Our kids deserve this, and I hope this helps us level the playing field of opportunity for the kids that we have going to our schools.”
He said the projects will impact “every single kid and every single staff member.”
Adler said the “kingpin” project on the list will be the rebuild of Mockingbird Elementary School.“Once we get that accomplished, it allows us to have that transition site for our other elementaries, and so we’ve already put a couple of things in motion to get a little bit of a head start.”
He said he hopes to get some construction underway this year.
Under the district’s plan dubbed Future Ready Ralston, Mockingbird will be demolished and rebuilt, other schools will be upgraded to modern security systems and floor plans, and the high school will get new competition baseball and softball fields.
The last time district officials put a bond issue in front of voters was in 2001. At that time, voters approved a $26.5 million bond issue to renovate Ralston High School.
The bond issue will impact property owners. The owner of a home valued at $150,000 will pay an extra $97.20 a year in property taxes.
The high school improvements are estimated at $24.3 million.
The school also will get concrete parking lots and drives, an upgrade from asphalt, a spokesman said. Inside the school, space will be renovated for career education programs.
Ralston Middle School and all the elementary schools would get vestibule-style secure entrances.
Once Mockingbird students occupy their new building, beside the old one, the old building would be used temporarily by children from Meadows, Blumfield and Wildewood Elementary Schools while their schools undergo renovation of spaces built with open-classroom designs.
Those renovations would likely be staggered over several years. Afterward, the old Mockingbird would be demolished.
Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of October 2021

Josh Lill, from left, Paul Masin and Andrew Blocker, all UNL sophomores, sit in the student section as Sarah Person, a freshman, walks up the stairs ahead of the Purdue vs. Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday.

Purdue's Chris Jefferson (17) grabs the ball that Nebraska's Austin Allen (11) lost control of as Purdue's Kieren Douglas (43) closes in during the Purdue vs. Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday. Purdue won the game 28-23.

Pedestrians cross Farnam Street at 15th Street in the rain on Wednesday morning.

Jen Ellis, 39, walks through the remaining belongings and trash in a homeless encampment where she used to live north of downtown. Omaha police started clearing the camp, which is on Union Pacific property, of people in late September.

Kiki, a newly announced pregnant elephant at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, which now has two pregnant elephants, with both calves due around February 2022.

Director of Bands at the University of Minnesota Emily Threinen conducts before the start of their game against Nebraska on Saturday.

Omaha Skutt's Hannah Camezind pitches against Hastings in Hastings on Friday.

Omaha Creighton Prep's Zachary Kuo celebrates winning the NSAA Class A #1 Singles state boy's tennis championship at the Koch Tennis Center in Omaha on Friday.

Penelope Smith shares a greeting card based on Sir John Franklin's Arctic expeditions of the 1800s.

Omaha Benson freshman Aaliyah Jones works on a project in a freshman academies class on Monday.

The sun sets as Michigan works on their second drive of the game against Nebraska Michigan on Saturday.

Max Dye front, and his brother Rex, climb the Husker Legacy outside of Memorial Stadium before the Nebraska and Michigan on Saturday. Max is 8, Rex is 5, and they are from Sutherland, Nebraska and will be attending their first game.

The boys start their race during the Metro Conference Cross Country Meet on Thursday.

Nebraska Head Coach Scott Frost smiles as his team celebrates a touchdown late in the second quarter against Northwestern on Saturday.

Omaha's Taylor Ward scores past Lake Superior State's Ethan Langenegger during their game on Sunday at Baxter Arena.

Nebraska's Samori Toure hauls in a long touchdown pass during the third quarter against Northwestern during their game on Saturday in Lincoln.

Nebraska's Garrett Nelson greets kids in the northwest corner of Memorial Stadium after defeating Northwestern football 56-7 on Saturday.

Nebraska's Ty Robinson tries to rally the crowd in the third quarter against Northwestern on Saturday.

Nebraska's Adrian Martinez is lifted in the air after scoring his second touchdown of the first quarter against Northwestern during their game on Saturday in Lincoln.

Nebraska's Jaquez Yant breaks free on a long run during the first quarter against Northwestern during their game on Saturday in Lincoln.

Kendall Coley is introduced during the Husker Hoops Opening Night celebration at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln on Friday.

Omaha Creighton Prep's Ed Hubner, left, and Riley Mahoney warm up before playinng North Platte on Friday.

North Platte's Kolten Tilford, left, can't stop Omaha Creighton Prep's Jack Stessman as he breaks away for a 65-yard second-quarter touchdown run on Friday.

Genesis Eggerson, 15, poses in the pink ball pit as her mom, Rachel Fox of Omaha, uses a remote to take photos during an opening event Thursday for Oh Snap!, a selfie studio at Westroads Mall.
joe.dejka@owh.com, 402-444-1077