A significant bond proposal and the chance to elect three members of the Greenville Independent School District board of trustees failed to generate a large early voter turnout for Saturday’s election.
A little more than one out of 10 local voters cast early ballots for the proposed $72.25 million bond before Tuesday evening’s deadline. A total of 1,400 ballots from Greenville’s 12,877 voters (10.8 percent) were cast for the citywide bond election.
The turnout was higher in two of the Greenville ISD’s voting districts. There were 417 early votes cast in District 3, and 314 voters in District 4. By comparison, the totals from Districts 1, 6 and 7 combined reached 306 votes. There were 190 early votes cast in District 2 and 173 early votes cast in District 5.
Voters were also casting early ballots for trustees in Districts 2, 3 and 4.
If approved by voters, the bonds would provide funding for constructing a new Bowie Elementary School; constructing a Career and Technology Academy addition and renovation of the existing high school CTE space, improving safety and security systems at all district campuses, improving wireless infrastructure and access to technology at each of the district’s campuses and providing facility upgrades and improvements at each district campus. Paying off the bonds will cost district taxpayers approximately $150 million over 30 years in principal and interest.
Places 2, 3 and 4 on the Greenville ISD board will also be on Saturday’s ballot. Place 2 incumbent Tom Durham is facing Trena Stafford, incumbent Place 3 board member Dr. Kim Hunt Butcher is facing Michael Phillips and Mitchal Vaughn is facing Lesley Overstreet for the Place 4 post.
A total of 112 early votes were cast in the contest for Place 4 on the Greenville City Council, which will also be decided Saturday. Holly Gotcher is facing Ramona B. Tiscareno for the seat.
Polls will be open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.