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Turner passes one referendum; fails other

BELOIT TOWNSHIP — The Turner School District can move forward with upgrades to its buildings, but it won’t be buying land in the near future.

Voters on Tuesday widely approved a $6.1 million question for building upgrades, including air handling, lighting, lockers and the auditorium. The question was approved 814 to 592.

But voters turned down a $2.5 million question to almost completely renovate the athletic facility and buy 40 acres of land about a quarter mile north of the middle/high school complex on Inman Parkway.

School Board President Norm Jacobs was encouraged that the second question failed by less than 100 votes out of 1,380.

“Question two shows more of a concern from the voters than a ‘No,’” Jacobs said. “We’ll now spend some time trying to figure out why.”

Jacobs said he encourages voters to write, e-mail or call the district to voice their concerns on the second question.

Voters might have thought stadium upgrades were “frivolous,” but he disagrees. With the district growing and moving into a larger conference, a larger track will be a necessity, Jacobs said.

District Administrator Dennis McCarthy has said that aside from the concession stand, everything in the stadium is in rough shape.

Jacobs acknowledges that voters are frustrated the district didn’t buy land adjacent to the middle/high school complex in the past. But that’s in the past, and buying land a quarter mile away is Turner’s next best option, Jacobs said.

“It seems visionary to me,” Jacobs said. “After we get some more input, we’ll come back and try again.”