Delphi renovation referendum fails

DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI) - Despite teachers and school administrators best efforts, the referendum was voted against 601 to 400.

That means Delphi Junior and Senior High Schools will not be getting upgrades that school officials said they desperately need.

Some of those school officials had some strong words to voters about tonight's results.

"It was more important for them to have money in their pocket than for them to take care of their students in the community, you know that's their choice," said Delphi Community High School Principal Barry Stone .

"Our science labs are the worst in the country. I wouldn't say the state, they're the worst in the country," said Stone.

The multi-million dollar referendum would have brought upgrades to science labs, heating and cooling units, and lighting. Delphi Community School teacher Laurie Kinzie said she's worried about how much worse conditions will get in her classroom now that the referendum has failed.

"I've got duct tape on my windows, I got plastic on my windows. I have probably 25 cords running throughout my classroom just to be able to hold all the electricity that we need so very, very, very disappointing," said Kinzie.

Officials says taxes would not have increased in the area if the referendum passed. But now that it failed, they will be less than what residents are currently paying. But the School Board's president said it will be taxpayers who pay the price on voting "no" in the long run.

"With the depressed economy, now's a good time to be able to do projects, material costs are rock bottom low," said Robert Resler.

Resler said eventually the schools will need to be renovated, and in the future the cost could be much higher. But taxpayers aren't the only ones he thinks will suffer.

"It's not a loss for the school board or the superintendent, win or lose it's for the kids in my opinion the real losers tonight are the students," he said.

Delphi Superintendent Ralph Walker said he was optimistic about the voting but also realistic. He said similar referendums aren't passing in any parts of the country. But he said ultimately he thought the community would support the academics.