By Sam Elliott

The Hamilton Southeastern School District’s tax referendum was overwhelmingly approved by area voters May 3 as the measure was passed with 71.42 percent of the vote.

The district saw 23,380 votes cast in favor of and 9,356 votes against the seven-year referendum, which will impose a tax rate not to exceed 22.75 cents per $100 of assessed home value.

“It’s nice to have the confidence of the community — 71 percent was just more than we had imagined and that kind of approval says that there’s a lot of confidence,” HSE Supt. Dr. Allen Bourff said. “That just raises the stakes a bit higher for the response that we make in terms of the action planning to put this referendum to its best purpose.”

The money raised via the referendum will bring HSE’s total funding to just above the state average with the goals of reducing class sizes, attracting and retaining quality teachers and preparing students for global competition.

“The next step — and it begins (May 4) — is to meet with all the central office people who are assigned to put into place some of the different initiatives, for example human resources will be posting jobs beginning (May 4) so we’re able to get those out and advertised and filled as soon as possible,” Bourff said. “The business office will be putting together bid approval requests for the school board to consider that would put portable classrooms in place for next fall. Our curriculum people will start meeting (May 4) to start the process of designing a world language program with the additional personnel we’ll have for that. We have a full slate of items to accomplish.”