Referendum falls short, but Cheek remains committed to school’s needs

By Ben Crane

The Arthur School District’s $24.6 million referendum to renovate the aging high school building fell just 148 votes short of the required majority in the recent election, leaving Superintendent Shannon Cheek disappointed but determined to find a path forward.

The proposed improvements, which included expanding career and technical education spaces, creating a dedicated student commons area, and upgrading the HVAC system, were designed to address the building’s pressing infrastructure needs and better serve the educational needs of the district’s students.

“I talked a lot about educating a kid now versus what it looked like 30 years ago, it’s different,” Cheek explained. “Kids are different. Needs are different. So those spaces we were going to be creating, we’re going to serve those needs well. And I think that gets lost in this conversation a little bit.”

While the plan received positive feedback from those who engaged with the district, Cheek acknowledged the challenge of reaching all community members.

“Sometimes what’s obvious to me isn’t completely obvious to everyone,” Cheek said. “We have to continue the process of raising awareness and getting people to understand the value of these improvements for our students.”

Walking into the main entrance of the ALAH High School, you are met with a stairwell. After wandering through the halls, the Record Herald News eventually was able to find the district office in the basement.

“You see what I mean? A pretty obvious security concern here,” Cheek said.

Cheek allowed the Record Herald News to tour the building’s facilities, showing outdated bathrooms, cramped classrooms, and overall outdated infrastructure, just to name a few detriments students, faculty, and staff overcome daily.

The referendum’s failure was not for lack of effort, as the district’s “Vote Yes” committee worked tirelessly to advocate for the project. Cheek praised the committee’s work, saying, “Without them, there’s no way it would have been this close.”

The superintendent emphasized that the responsibility for the referendum’s failure rests with him, as the leader of the district.

“We fell short, and as the leader of this district, the responsibility is mine,” Cheek said. “But I’m proud of the progress we’ve made.”

One of the bright spots Cheek highlighted was the increased community engagement and advocacy for the project.

“We’ve got more people stepping up and passionately advocating for our students’ needs, and that’s incredibly valuable,” he said. “Leadership is putting yourself out there, not on social media or in forums, but actually stepping up and saying, ‘I believe in this, and this is what needs to happen.’”

Cheek acknowledged the challenges of standing up to what you believe in, highlighting the navigation of the current social and political climate, where disagreement can quickly turn into personal attacks.

“We don’t live in a world that’s we live in a world now that’s very hard to disagree on things,” he said. “You’re taking a risk that your opinions are going to be, you know, your own personal character is going to be attacked. And it’s not really about that.”

Looking ahead, the district plans to regroup and determine the next steps, potentially aiming for another referendum as soon as April 2025. Cheek expressed confidence that the community will support the necessary upgrades to the aging high school building, but he recognized the need to continue the process of raising awareness and getting people engaged.

Cheek made it clear that the district has exhausted all other avenues of funding, highlighting the $5 million that the district planned to use was all they could allocate towards the project.

He also said that breaking down the project into smaller ones would be “impossible.”

“Our communities care about our kids, and I believe we’ll get there,” Cheek said. “It’s a process, and we have to keep working to get people engaged and educated on their needs.”

The referendum’s failure was a disappointment, but Cheek’s unwavering commitment to providing the best possible educational experience for the district’s students shines through.

With the support of the community and the continued efforts of the district’s leadership, the Arthur School District, led by Cheek, is determined to overcome this setback and secure the resources needed to transform the high school into a modern, functional learning environment.