In the biggest election of the day Tuesday, the state’s largest school district fell short. The West Ada School District’s $104 million bond issue picked up 63 percent support — falling short of the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass a school bond issue. District officials said the bond issue was needed to handle continued enrollment increases and overcrowding, particularly at the middle school level. Over half of the money, $60 million, would have gone to build two new middle schools. (For details about the bond issue, click here.) Superintendent Linda Clark could not be reached for comment Wednesday morning, but on Tuesday night, she indicated that the district may try another bond issue. “We will have to run it again,” Clark told the Idaho Statesman, “and we will have to work harder.” The high stakes did not result in a high turnout. Less than 10 percent of the district’s eligible voters cast a ballot/Kevin Richert, IdahoED NEWS. More here.

Question: I know that state law sets last August as one of the four dates for this kind of election. But why would anyone hold an election in the last days of summer?