Bond failure needs to generate community debate

With the county’s certification of the Feb. 10 special election last Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Cheney School District’s nearly $44.8 million construction bond for expanding and remodeling the high school has come up short of the needed 60 percent majority for passage. The bond received 3,712 yes votes, 58.43 percent, which according to school district officials and bond supporters is about 100 votes shy of passage.

With an eye to possibly re-running the bond in April, the district’s school board accepted extended public input at its regular meeting Feb. 25 at Salnave Elementary School. With 150-...