SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) —South Kingstown residents have approved a $150 million for a new high school and athletic field , according to unofficial election results .

The bond question won with 54.49% of the vote, with 7,726 ballots cast.

However residents in Richmond, Charlestown and Hopkinton narrowly rejected a separate $150 million bond question to build three new elementary schools, defeating the measure by 75 votes.

Both school districts said they wanted to replace aging buildings, before a bump in state reimbursements expires.

South Kingstown Superintendent Robert Littlefield said the current high school was built in the 1950s and has trouble heating and cooling.

The town has seen an 18% decline in enrollment between 2019 and 2023, the steepest drop in the state, according to the Rhode Island Expenditure Council.

Littlefield said the proposed new school would be smaller, more energy efficient, and could allow the town to be more competitive with other schools, especially when many of their students are going for career and technical programs in other parts of the state.

“I think it’s important for the town,” Doug Kraus of South Kingstown said. “Twenty years from now, you hope the population will increase and the children will come back to the town.”

Littlefield said the new school is expected to be ready by fall 2027.

But voters in South Kingstown, as well as Chariho, expressed concern about taxes.

“When does it end?” said Louise Dinsmore, president of the Forgotten Taxpayers in Richmond.

She’s against the proposal that would’ve put $150 million toward the construction of three new elementary schools for students living in Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton.

“The taxpayers, especially in Richmond and Hopkinton, have been overtaxed,” she told 12 News.

But some said the aging schools are in need of repairs, including Chris Kona, whose kids went to Richmond Elementary School.

“The challenge is that we have water that starts to shut down some of the classes,” he said. “It needs an update. It needs more. There’s a limit to how much we can continue to milk that.”

State Senator Victoria Gu, who represents many of the communities that took part in the two bond votes, said these questions came as a boost in state reimbursement funds is set to expire this year.

“The question is, ‘Is that bond money going to the schools up north, or are we going to be able to use some of that money down south here in South Kingstown and Chariho?” she asked.

Kate Wilkinson ( kwilkinson@wpri.com ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook .

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