With the bond issue for a new Stevens Elementary school still trailing by a narrow margin after the Feb. 11 special election, the school board passed a resolution at its meeting on Tuesday to put it back on the ballot right away. It’s scheduled for another vote on an April 28 ballot.

With a small number of ballots still arriving in the mail, it could still pass and if it did, there would be no second vote, but the board was facing a deadline to get it on the next ballot.

The proposal for a $46.8 million project to build a new school next to the old one in South Aberdeen appears to be coming up just short, with 59.91% in favor after the last count on Feb. 14, approximately three votes less than the 60% needed to pass. The next ballot count is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m.

“There is a chance that it will pass. We’re going to cross our fingers for that,” said Superintendent Alicia Henderson.

“In the event that it doesn’t pass on Friday, then this allows us to meet the deadline to put it back on the ballot for April 28,” she said.

“It was so close that it gives confidence that it will pass. And many thanks to Kris Koski. Just an amazing chair for the campaign committee,” she added.

“As of the Feb. 14 ballot count, the Stevens bond only needs a handful of votes to reach a 60 percent supermajority and approval. I am hopeful that this Friday’s ballot count will push the bond above the 60 percent threshold so that work can begin immediately to rebuild Stevens Elementary,” said Kris Koski, Chair of Aberdeen Citizens for Schools.

“With such a razor-thin margin, I believe that it was prudent of the School Board to begin planning for the next election and keep options open in case the bond does not pass this time,” Koski said.

The resolution to add the measure to the April 28 ballot could be withdrawn if the measure passes during the next count on Friday or during a potential recount at a later date, according to the district.