Election officials assist voters at the Dysart Community Building this past Tuesday afternoon during the 2025 city-school election. Roughly 60.5% of voters in Dysart approved Union Community School District’s bond referendum on Tuesday, but the vote failed overall – garnering just over 56% of the vote, shy of the required 60% supermajority. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

LA PORTE CITY – The Union Community School District’s $18.5 million bond referendum has failed according to unofficial results, garnering just over 56% of the vote share.

The one-question public measure was part of the Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 city-school election and asked voters to approve funding for improvements at all four buildings (high school, middle school, Dysart-Geneseo Elementary, La Porte City Elementary) plus construct, furnish, and equip a new bus barn. The entire project’s price tag was set at $25.8 million, including $7.3 million from future SAVE revenue (sales tax). According to the district, if the bond had been approved, property taxpayers would have experienced an estimated increase of $2.60 per year on every $1,000 of taxable property value, amounting to an annual increase of approximately $234.03 (or $19.50 per month) on a home assessed at $200,000.

On Tuesday morning, Superintendent John Howard shared a statement regarding the bond referendum on behalf of the district.

“Yesterday, the general obligation bond referendum for the Union Community School District fell short of the required 60% +1 voter approval to pass. This means we will not be moving forward with the proposed improvements throughout the district at this time. While the outcome is not what we, as a district, had hoped for, we remain committed to meeting the needs of our students, staff, and communities.”

“The Union Community School District Board of Education and staff remain committed to addressing the identified facility challenges and needs. Thank you to everyone who took the time to learn about the proposal, ask questions, and cast your vote. Your involvement and care for our schools make a difference every day. Go Knights!”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The 2025 bond would have needed at least 1,173 votes in favor to reach the required 60% supermajority. Across all four counties, voters cast 1,098 votes in favor (56.2%) and 856 votes against (43.8%), coming up 75 votes short of passage. In Tama, Black Hawk, and Buchanan counties, more votes were cast in support of the bond than against, while in Benton County, the vote leaned ‘no’ by some 13 ballots.

Roughly 60.5% of voters – a supermajority – in Dysart cast ballots in support of the bond with 370 voting ‘yes’ and 242 voting ‘no.’ In Big Creek/Spring Creek/La Porte City precinct, some 56.1% of voters cast ballots in favor – 499 voting ‘yes’ and 390 voting ‘no.’

Last November, the district failed to pass a similar $20.5 million bond referendum, falling just shy by roughly six votes.

Public Measure BK unofficial results

“Shall the Board of Directors of the Union Community School District in the Counties of Black Hawk, Benton, Buchanan and Tama, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $18,500,000 to provide funds for safety and security improvements at all school buildings; to remodel, repair, improve, furnish and equip portions of the High School and Middle School buildings; to construct, furnish, and equip additions to the High School building and improve the site; and to construct, furnish, and equip a bus barn?”

TAMA COUNTY

YES 381

NO 244

BLACK HAWK

YES 582

NO 467

BENTON COUNTY

YES 120

NO 137

BUCHANAN COUNTY

YES 15

NO 8

TOTAL: 1,954

TOTAL YES: 1,098 (56.2%)

TOTAL NO: 856 (~43.8%)

Telegraph Note: This story will publish in the Friday, Nov. 7 print edition of the Telegraph. Mayor, city council, and school board results will publish in the Friday, Nov. 14 edition.