$15.4 million Lomega bond issue vote nears

The fate of a new Lomega High School building lies in an election that’s just over a week away.

Voters in the Lomega school district are being asked to pass a $15.4 million bond issue at the polls on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

To pass, the issue would need a super-majority, or 60 percent, of “yes” votes.

The bond would pay for a new high school just south of the current building in Omega and it would provide for renovations of the elementary gym in Loyal.

The proposed high school is 33,000 square feet and would have 13 classrooms, including two that would also double as tornado-safe rooms that meet FEMA standards.

A new facility would also include a secured main entry vestibule.

Safety is among the factors Lomega Supt. Steve Shiever wants to see a new school constructed.

“Right now, if we have a tornado warning, we have to walk across the street to the coach’s house for shelter,” Shiever said. “And if it’s hailing outside, we have to walk through the hail or rain or whatever else is falling.

“And we also can’t secure this building we have now. The new one would be much more secure.”

The new building would also include a stage area near the dining room, a dining space that would double as assembly seating for stage viewing, a backstage area that would double as classroom space, STEM and science lab with space, STEM and science lab with outdoor learning space, special needs classroom and other offices, restrooms and storage areas.

At the elementary school in Loyal, the gym would see new boys and girls locker rooms constructed to meet current code.

The existing wood bleachers would be removed and replaced with new fixed chair-back seating and a section of retractable bleachers.

The existing northeast locker room space would be converted into gymnasium floor space with retractable bleachers.

The other locker rooms would be converted into storage underneath the bleachers.

Lomega’s current high school building houses 96 students in seventh-12th grades.

There are 130 students in the elementary, including 32 students alone in the fifth grade.

“That’s a lot more students,” Shiever said. “They’re going to make a big difference when they get to the high school.”

The current structure was built in the late 1960s.

Voters in the Okeene and Covington-Douglass school districts, some of whom sit in Kingfisher County, are also being asked to pass bond issues.

Okeene’s is for a new gymnasium, among other projects, and Covington-Douglas for construction of a new main entrance building to tie the high school, library and elementary together.

Kingfisher County Election Board Secretary Shawna Butts offered the following information and tips as the election approaches:

• Early voting will be available at the County Election Board office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. the day of the election. Lines are possible at peak voting times. Wait times will likely be shortest at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Anyone in line to vote at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.

• Anyone who needs to look up their polling place, verify their registration information, or view a sample ballot can do so online. The Online Voter Tool can be accessed on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website: www.elections.ok.gov. Those who vote by mail can also check the status of their ballot using the Online Voter Tool. Sample ballots are also available at the County Election Board office.

• Oklahoma law requires every voter who votes in person at the precinct polling place or during early voting at the County Election Board to show proof of identity before receiving a ballot. There are three ways for voters to prove their identity under the law (only one proof of identity is required): Show a valid photo ID issued by federal, state, or tribal government; or show the free voter identification card issued to every voter by the County Election Board; or sign an affidavit and vote a provisional ballot. (If the information on the affidavit matches official voter registration records, the ballot will be counted after Election Day.)

• Physically disabled voters who cannot enter the polling place need help marking their ballots, blind or visually disabled voters and illiterate voters may be assisted by a person the voter chooses. In all cases, a person providing such assistance may not be the voter’s employer or an agent of the employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union. A person providing assistance also must swear or affirm that the voter’s ballots will be marked in accordance with the voter’s wishes. Alternatively, all blind, visually impaired, and physically disabled voters in Kingfisher County may use the audio-tactile interface (ATI), a feature offered on all Oklahoma voting devices, to vote privately and independently, either at Kingfisher County Election Board during early voting or at their assigned polling place on election day.

• Voters who have moved since the last election, but who have not transferred their voter registration to their new address, may do so on Election Day by going to vote at the polling place where their registration has been in the past. While voting, they may fill out a form instructing the County Election Board to transfer their registration to the new address before the next election.

• Those who became physically incapacitated after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, still can request an emergency absentee ballot. Those who might qualify for an emergency absentee ballot should contact the County Election Board office at (405)-375-3895 as soon as possible for more information.

• Any violation of election law will be reported to the proper law enforcement authorities. Electioneering is not allowed within 300 feet of a ballot box. It is also unlawful to remove a ballot from the polling location, possess intoxicating liquors within one-half mile of a polling place or to disclose how you voted while within the election enclosure.