A school bond issue in Wichita was defeated by a 294-vote margin, according to the final unofficial numbers from the February 25th election.

Friday, February 28th was the last day mail ballots could be received, and the Sedgwick County Election Office released a final count with 13,928 no votes and 13,634 yes votes.  A vote canvass is scheduled Thursday to certify the final results.

The $450-million bond issue would have provided for upgrades and improvements to school buildings, with some buildings being closed, others undergoing repairs and renovation and other buildings to be repurposed.

The school district’s News and Media Relations Manager, Susan Arensman, issued a statement on Monday:

“With all votes now counted in the February 25 bond election, Wichita Public Schools will evaluate what we have learned to determine next steps. We appreciate the community feedback we received during this process. Two things remain, regardless of the outcome: the district has a tremendous amount of facility needs and we will continue making every student future ready, even in our current learning spaces.”