A proposal to build a new $17-million school to serve the students of the McLeod West School District was defeated Tuesday night.

Superintendent Tom Hiebert said the results were as follows: with a total of 1,580 voters, 688 voted "yes" and 891 voted "no." There was one blank ballot.

The proposed 75,000-square-foot building and school bus garage would have housed all grades served by McLeod West, and would've been built at the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 212 and State Highway 15 in Brownton.

"I wouldn't say it was a surprise," Hiebert said, speaking from his Brownton office after the votes were tallied. "I thought maybe it would be a little bit closer."

Hiebert said the School Board will meet Jan. 3 to decide on its next course of action. According to Hiebert, the district will likely close one of its existing buildings — either the high school in Brownton or the elementary school in Stewart — and move all its operations to a single building.

The action would take place for the next school year.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com [2])