BEND, PRINEVILLE, OR -- Voters on Tuesday rejected measures for Bend La Pine and Crook County Schools. In Prineville, School Board member Scott Cooper says with the defeat of a bond his district will need to find the money somewhere for building maintenance and repairs. “I think that's a really good question to ask current leadership of the board because two of the board members came out halfway through the bond and said they no longer thought it was necessary. I don't know where they thought we were going to get the funding because we don't have another source of funding for this and these repairs cannot go undone. So, I'm looking forward to that conversation.” Cooper doesn’t see a lot of alternatives, “We’ll certainly have to go back to the drawing board and figure that out. There isn’t just $17-million laying around.”

In Bend-La Pine Schools, Scott Maben tells KBND News there was a contingency plan if its Learning Levy failed, “We do need to make budget reductions over the next two years. We will look at eliminating positions and also reducing some other spending,” he adds the district will look for more state funding, “The focus will turn to Salem, and our legislature and the governor. Our superintendent is already starting to engage in that conversation. …Especially as we're getting ready for next year's legislative session and they will be voting on a new two-year funding package for public schools.”

Cooper isn’t banking on state lawmakers. “Well, I do laugh at Bend La Pine Schools, which is always talking about more funding from Salem, despite record and historic levels of funding. But certainly, should that come through, it would be helpful.”

It’s the second time Crook County voters have defeated a bond for school facilities.