By Philip Haldiman

With the failure of the $120 million bond authorization for the Peoria Unified School District, officials say they are looking to the future.

The final official count shows 53.46% or 60,540 voters rejected the bond while 46.54% or 52,704 voters supported it, according to Maricopa County Elections.

Superintendent KC Somers said the election results were not what he had hoped for, but his commitment to supporting the learning environments of the district’s more than 35,000 students remains unwavering.

“With our recent A-rating from the Arizona Department of Education, we are reminded of the excellence our community values and the high demand for the exceptional educational experiences we provide,” Somers said. “I look forward to collaborating with our new governing board members as we chart a path forward together.”

An approved bond would have authorized Peoria Unified to sell up to $120 million dollars in bonds to maintain existing facilities, increase safety and security, upgrade technology, and purchase additional school buses. The bond would also have include funds for a new elementary school.

The last time voters approved a bond for Peoria Unified was in 2012.

PUSD Governing Board Member Melissa Ewing, who voted for the bond, said there is a lot of support when it comes to public education, but when it comes to the election in Peoria, supporting schools is partisan — if you are a Democrat you support the bond, and if you are a Republican you don’t.

The bond still has 46% support, and that needs to be built on, and there is opportunity for that.

“I still have a lot of hope in our community to support our schools,” Ewing said. “The outcome shows a larger challenge with public education not being well funded in the state and the legislature’s unwillingness to invest in public education, but that does not mean there is not support for our schools.”

Looking forward, the PUSD governing board will take on a new look in the coming year.

Becky Proudfit, Janelle Bowles and Jeffrey Tobey won the three open seats on the five-seat board.