Published: April 01, 2008 10:10 pm         

Area schools’ bond proposals approved

Staff reports



School patrons in Ring-wood and Woodward approved bond issue proposals Tuesday, while patrons in the Pioneer-Pleasant Vale, Pond Creek-Hunter, Hennessey and Sharon-Mutual districts elected school board members.

Voters in the city of Wood-ward also approved proposals to make the city treasurer an appointed position and to raise the hotel-motel tax.

In Kingfisher, voters elected a new mayor.



Ringwood Public Schools



Voters overwhelmingly ap-proved a $1.595 million bond issue to build a new elementary building. The vote was 270-50, or 84.4 percent.

When it is completed, the new building will house pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, with the current building becoming a middle school for fifth, sixth and seventh grades.

Superintendent Ray John-son said the present elementary building was designed for up to 160 students. Currently, 268 students in grades pre-kindergarten-sixth are housed there.

School bond issues required a 60 percent super-majority.

Woodward Public Schools



Woodward school patrons approved two bond issues.

Proposition one is for $17.635 million to fund construction of a new early childhood development center, renovations and additions to the district’s elementary schools, purchase of new band equipment, a covered walkway at the middle school, new agriculture barns and new technology.

It passed 1,431-685, or 67.6 percent.

Proposition two is for $350,000 for transportation vehicles. It passed 1,444-672, or 68.2 percent.



Pioneer-Pleasant Vale

Public Schools



Pioneer patrons elected John Stone to the school board to replace the late Jim Talbott, a longtime board member who died in March.

Stone received 53 votes. Talbott, who remained on the ballot because he died after the election was set, received no votes. Stone, an accountant at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center who has three daughters enrolled in Pioneer-Pleasant Vale schools, was appointed to the seat after Talbott’s death.



Pond Creek-Hunter

Public Schools



Curtis Peterson, Pond Creek-Hunter school board president, edged Gary L. Williams, a retired school principal, 99-95 for the seat.

Peterson is a reliability manager for ONEOK.



Hennessey Public Schools



Ray Cordry Jr. defeated Luke Lough 201-198 for a seat on the Hennessey school board.

Cordry is chairman of Department of Psychiatry at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences.



Sharon-Mutual Public

Schools



Frank Lamberth defeated Daisy Adams 93-75 for a seat on the Sharon-Mutual School board.



City of Woodward



Voters changed the city charter to make the city treasurer an appointed position.

The vote was 955-874.

There has not been a race for Woodward city treasurer since the early 1970s. In the last two election cycles, no one filed for the post. The position now will be filled by Woodward City Commis-sion.

Woodward voters also approved an increase in the hotel-motel tax. The vote was 1,320-508.

With the increase, the city could collect as much as $600,000 yearly in hotel-motel taxes. The money will be used to create a tourism and convention bureau and hire a staff to promote tourism and major events in Woodward.



City of Kingfisher



Kingfisher banker Jack Stute-ville was elected mayor, defeating Mark Mueggenborg, a former city commissioner and retired auto repair shop owner, 345-161.

He will take office Monday and replace Richard D. Flood, who died last year.