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3 seats to be filled on Peoria Unified governing board

Leaders separated by only 2 percentage points

Posted 11/16/20

In a tight race that left the top five in a field of nine Peoria Unified School District school board candidates separated by only two percentage points, Rebecca Hill, David Sandoval and Bill Sorensen will fill the three open seats on the five-person board, according to unofficial results.

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3 seats to be filled on Peoria Unified governing board

Leaders separated by only 2 percentage points

Posted

In a tight race that left the top five in a field of nine Peoria Unified School District school board candidates separated by only two percentage points, Rebecca Hill, David Sandoval and Bill Sorensen will fill the three open seats on the five-person board, according to unofficial results.

Ms. Hill had 15% of the votes, Mr. Sandoval had 14% and Mr. Sorensen had 13% in this year’s general election.

Close behind were Linda Busam and Kirk Hobbs.

Also affecting Peoria Unified on the ballot were a bond and override.

Voters approved a 13% maintenance and operations override, with 55% in favor of the measure, according to unofficial results.

A $125 million “critical needs” bond failed, with 55% voting in opposition.

This will be the third bond to fail in the past five years.

The $125 million bond included $56 million for elementary school upgrades, $23 million for high school upgrades, $25 million for technology, $6 million for transportation and $2 million for district facility upgrades. The bond also includes $13 million to purchase land for a new high school in the northern part of Peoria.

The override is a continuation of a long running override that has provided about $28 million in additional funding annually for the district’s maintenance and operations budget. This includes teacher and staff compensation, all-day kindergarten, athletics and extracurricular activities, physical education, nurses and health services, art, band and chorus, assistant principals, reading and gifted programs.

The money is collected through district residents’ property taxes, and there will be no increase to residents’ tax rate.

Philip Haldiman can be reached at 623-876-3697, phaldiman@newszap.com, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.