Fremont voters show up to vote on school bond

FREMONT COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - On Tuesday, March 14, many of our local school districts are asking patrons to vote on school bonds and levies. The Fremont School District is asking its patrons to vote on a nearly $60 million bond.

The bond will help remodel the Aston Elementary School as well as both North Fremont High school and South Fremont High School. For more information on the bond, you can see our past coverage of the bond here. Or you can go to the Fremont School District website here.

For voters in the Fremont County's 8th Precinct, the turn out was steady with more expected to come later in the Tuesday afternoon as people get off work and kids return home from school.

The voters had their own reasons for coming out, but they all shared a common theme.

"I have a degree in government education, and so I've always learned that it's very important to just to express your feelings and figure out how this bond could affect both sides, positive or negative. And it's also our important civic duty as a member of a Christian church to express that we need to go and vote and do our be involved with the government. And so that's why I came out here today to vote," Cami Riebsomer said.

"I think if you don't vote, you don't have a choice. You don't have a say. So I vote at every election because that's why I'm a veteran. That's my duty," Dick Olson said.

"It's an American, right. And if you don't take advantage of it, it's sad. It's just sad. You lose out on a lot of things if you don't take advantage if they don't know what you want," Merlana Peck said.

While they all had individual feelings on why it was important to come out and vote, they all felt it was important to show their support for the school district. No matter which way they ended up voting.

"I think it's important to help the school. No question. But I do have some questions of how they spend some of the money, because, for instance, I have a ranch in Chester and there will be four full school buses go past there with like two kids on every evening. I think a little bit of organization and planning would help," Olson said.

"I've listened to how this could affect people on fixed income who don't qualify for property tax exemptions and I also heard how this can be beneficial for the students and the reasons why we need this bond and the reasons how this bond could hurt others. So the way I voted was very hard that I did a lot of research, and I just hope that whatever goes the way it goes is what's best for the community," Riebsomer said.

"Growth is happening and progress is happening and new things are always coming around that our kids need to learn about. And so somebody at some point in history passed a bond so that my kids could have what they've had so far. So it only makes sense that I then pay it forward for future kids and my kids that are still coming up through the schools to be able to have what they need," Jennifer Orm said.

"I'm a substitute teacher, so normally I am in classrooms, but I don't know. It's just so important to just to to let them know how you feel. I don't. I just they can't know all of our opinions without a vote. And this is the way to do it," Peck said.

Many of the voters expressed a gratitude to be able to come out and vote on the school bond. They say no matter the bond's results will help the school board focus in on how best to help the students.

If you live in the Fremont School District boundaries and need help finding your voting precinct, you can go here.