Voters approve two school-district building referendums

Voters approved two school-district building referendums as part of Tuesday’s primary elections.

Hamilton School District asked residents to approve a $57.4 million proposal to build a new intermediate school for grades 5 and 6, a project meant to open up more space for students at the elementary schools. The referendum also gave voters a chance to weigh in on a proposed addition to the high school, which district officials said is also needed to provide more space for students.

The proposal passed on a vote of 4,789 to 2,974.

A second referendum question for that school district asked for $1.5 million in recurring operational costs related to the new intermediate school. That referendum also passed on a vote of 4,424 to 3,334.

Voters in the West Salem School District, meanwhile, approved a $1.5 million building referendum. That money will go toward renovating and expanding the high school’s automotive-repair center; continuing construction work on a sports and events center; and buying related fixtures and equipment.

The referendum passed with a vote of 1,147 to 334.