Oregon Public Broadcasting

Half of the 25,000 residents of Redmond, Oregon will be sending their kids to a new high school in a few years.

Voters in the central Oregon school district approved a $110 million bond to pay for a new high school and a new elementary school. Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports.

About 57 percent of voters approved the new school.

2100 students currently attend Redmond High - which was built in 1970 to hold 1200.

Many supporters expressed concerns about the timing of the vote.

To approve a taxpayer-backed loan like this, you need a double majority.

So, it's not enough just to get more than half of the votes in a particular election. You also need half the registered voters to fill out a ballot.

That's usually considered a longer shot in a primary election. But because so many Democrats voted in the primary, Redmond got the double majority needed.

Redmond school superintendent Vicki Fleming says the energy around the presidential race wasn't the reason they put the bond on the May ballot.

But some analysts say it was a savvy -- or lucky -- move by the Redmond schools, because Democrats are more likely to vote for a school bond like this.