MANKATO — By fall of 2016, a new middle school will be opening its doors to students on the east side of the Mankato district.

With 2,944 to 1,224 votes, 70 percent of residents voted in favor of a $69.5 million bond referendum on Tuesday’s ballot, which includes the construction of a new middle school building.

When the votes were in, teachers, principals, district administrators and school board members gathered at the Intergovernmental Center broke out into applause Tuesday night. Superintendent Sheri Allen couldn’t help but raise her hands in the air and express her enthusiasm: “Yes!”

“Thank you, everyone. How lucky are our kids?” she said.

Allen said the bond passing comes at the end of a lot of hard work by numerous people, both in the district and in the community. She said she’s grateful to everyone who had a part in it, and she’s grateful to the voters for passing the bond in all 10 precincts.

— Mankato Free Press