OREGON (WKOW) -- 27 News spoke to Oregon School District Superintendent Brian Busler on the phone Wednesday morning about the referendum being voted down.
Busler thanked voters for taking part and he respects their decision. He says the district is disappointed.
"This referendum represented all of the feedback from community members so its going to be difficult to reassess the situation and decide the next step," said Brian Busler, Oregon School District Superintendent.
27 News also asked how the district plans to move forward.
"It's going to be difficult to reassess that situation and decide the next step. This wasn't the case where we will propose a large amount and reduce and come back with another referendum," said Busler.
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VILLAGE OF OREGON (WKOW) -- Thousands voted against a $33 million referendum for the Oregon School District on Tuesday.
While most cities in Dane County weren't expecting huge turnouts, the referendum brought more than 2,000 people to the polls in the Village of Oregon.
Fifty-seven percent voted against the project to renovate the Oregon Middle and High School, along with the District Athletic Fields.
Some felt it was important to vote for the plan to improve school safety and resources, but most thought it would cost too much at a time when money is tight.
William LaDell has two grandchildren in the Oregon School District, but he voted no on the referendum.
"Money is tight," he said. "It's tight for us. It's tight for everybody."
The $33 million project, called for an additional $100 in property taxes for the average homeowner in Oregon.
"There has almost been a referendum every decade," said Brian Busler, the Oregon School District Superintendent. "I refer to that as generational investing."
This "investment" would have been the largest to date.
"According to our financial consultants, we're just coming out of recession. We have very low interest rates," Busler said.
"If you take a leap of faith, it's cheaper than doing it in five years when the economy is doing well again," said Michael White, an Oregon resident who voted for the referendum.
The issue brought about 45 percent of registered voters to the polls compared with about 5 percent expected in other Dane County cities.
"I ordered closer to 5,000 ballots, not knowing what to expect," said Village Clerk Tracey Berman.
Question one asked for the money to make changes, including building new main entrances, an up to date gym and a hands-on science lab.
Question two asked for permission to exceed the revenue limit to pay for recurring expenses like utilities and maintenance staff.
"It is time for our schools to have an upgrade," Busler said.
Voters didn't agree with the referendum, so now what?
"Those needs certainly don't change, but typically if a referendum is not successful everyone takes a big step back and reassesses the situation and decides what the plan is to go forward," said Busler.
The superintendent says the school board hadn't discussed what to do if the referendum did not pass.
