HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Reno County voters have rejected the Hutchinson USD 308 $36 million school bond proposition on Tuesday’s General Election ballot.
The bond measure was narrowly defeated, receiving 4,769 “No” votes (50.7%) to 4,639 “Yes” votes (49.3%). Voter turnout across Reno County reached roughly 50%, with 21,905 residents casting ballots in the election.
The defeated $36 million bond measure represents the district’s second attempt in two years to address facility needs across Hutchinson schools.
On November 4, 2025, voters turned down a significantly larger ~$110 million bond proposition. That proposal would have funded safety and security upgrades at elementary schools, constructed a centralized early childhood center, and built a new middle school to unite sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.
In April 2026, the board reviewed survey results compiled by Discovery Works Collaborative to determine why the 2025 proposal failed. The survey revealed:
- 63% of respondents stated the $110 million price tag was too high.
- 55% cited concerns regarding the proposed location of the new middle school.
- 55% indicated that new construction was unnecessary in light of declining student enrollment.
Survey feedback indicated that voters preferred focusing resources on safety, security, aging infrastructure, and food service updates rather than expansive new construction.
Taking community feedback into account, USD 308 officials drastically revised their approach ahead of the November 2026 election. In October 2026, Board of Education member Tad Dower and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Krystal Young outlined the new $36 million proposal, describing it as a “meat and potatoes bond”.
Key adjustments in the 2026 proposal included:
- Reduced Cost and Scope: At $36 million over 12 years, the proposal was less than one-third the cost and half the duration of the 2025 measure.
- Focus on Essential Infrastructure: Funding was targeted strictly at safety, security, roofing, and HVAC systems across the district’s 1.3 million square feet of facilities, where elementary buildings average 75 years of age.
- Elimination of Sports Complex Construction: Unlike the 2025 measure, the proposal did not include building a new facility at 23rd and Severance.
- No Tax Rate Increase: The proposal was structured to avoid any property tax rate increase, maintaining a board-approved tax reduction of approximately $12 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.
Despite scaling back the scope and holding public informational meetings throughout October at the Career and Technical Education Center, the revised bond measure was ultimately rejected by voters on Election Day.
