As results came in for the Vicksburg Warren School District’s special bond referendum Tuesday, superintendent Chad Shealy fought to hold back tears.

After he read aloud the numbers reporting from Warren Central High School, one of two precincts where the election was held, that clinched the vote in the district’s favor the gathering at the district office broke out in triumphant shouts and tears of joy.

Unofficial results Tuesday night showed that the bond passed with 68.6 percent of the vote with 2,411 votes for and 1103 against with less than 100 affidavit ballots to count, Warren County Election Commission chairman Sara Dionne said.   

“About five years ago we came to Vicksburg as a family. There was vision that was very evident that Vicksburg was capable of and we started moving down that road,” Shealy said. “I want to thank this community not just for their support, but their voice. That was very important to us.

“Every voice matters and everybody counts. We went out to the schools and had talks and I want to thank the community for that outpouring of information to us. I think that is the very thing that has contributed to this success. The community was very clear about what they wanted.”

Voters at the Vicksburg High precinct voted 922 to 364 in favor of the bond and voters at Warren Central voted 1,367 to 573 in favor.Totals from the absentee ballots were 166 votes against and 122 votes for the bond. 

“I commend the people of Warren County for putting the children first,” Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said. “This is the biggest game changer in this city for education and speaks volumes for the direction and future of the city. I am absolutely proud of Vicksburg and Warren County.”

The vote marked the first time since 1966 that a bond election has been held to support the school district in Warren County. In comparison, Clinton, Hinds County and Rankin County school districts have each passed two since 2001.

“It is time to stop going and visiting our neighbors in other cities and asking why we can’t have that. It is time to give our children something they can be proud of,” VWSD Board of Trustees president Bryan Pratt said. “It was pretty satisfying that all our hard work has finally paid off. The citizens of Vicksburg kept telling us we can’t move Vicksburg forward until our schools move forward. We have done a lot and this is the next phase we need to move into. Our facilities were now holding us back.”

The $83 million bond referendum will fund the majority of a $131.5 million facilities plan that will include major renovations and expansions at the two high schools, the construction of a new Academy of Innovation, renovations at each of the district’s schools and upgrades to the current athletic facilities including AstroTurf and new tracks.

The remaining $48.5 million will be funded as debt from the construction of the two mega-schools — Sherman Avenue and Dana Road — which were built in 1999 rolls off the books.

The $83 million bond will be repaid through a 7.9 mil increase to property taxes in Warren County. The district’s current millage rate is 53.91 mils.

“As a daddy, I am elated that my children are in this school district,” Shealy said. “I am so excited that they are going to get the benefit of these people in this community that love them. That is what happened today. People made a decision not about bricks and mortar. They made a decision on caring about children here. Our community spoke loud and clear.”