Cashion lost both of its home basketball games last Tuesday night.

Ironically, those wearing the Cashion maroon and gold were smiling, cheering and hugging at the result…the result of something much bigger than the games on the court.

Voters in the eastern Kingfisher County school district narrowly approved a $39.93 million bond issue last week that will finally give the school district some room to breathe…and continue to grow.

The cheers from the crowd were heard once the final results were revealed and announced.

Of the 962 people who voted, 587 voted in favor, which is just a shade over 61 percent.

Bond issues need a super majority - 60 percent plus one vote - to pass.

That means Cashion’s issue was less than 10 votes over the threshold.

“I just want to take a moment to say thank you to our amazing community,” said first-year superintendent Shane Hood, who has spent most of his brief tenure with the school district trying to inform the public of the need to pass the bond issue and to answer any questions surrounding its particulars.

“We know that passing a school bond is never an easy decision and we truly appreciate the support whether you voted yes or no,” Hood continued. “A ‘no’ vote doesn’t mean you don’t care about our schools; it just means you had to make a tough financial choice.

“What really matters is that we all share the same goal: Doing what’s best for our kids.”

The financial price tag isn’t shallow.

It’s projected that property taxes will raise 15 percent for those living in the district over the life of the 13 years of the bond.

But the need, said Hood, is even greater.

Cashion has seen unprecedented growth and all projection don’t forecast it to slow down anytime soon.

In 2010, Cashion had 495 students.

It was 634 just 10 years later and was at 760 students in January 2025.

It is projected that 700 new homes will be built in the school district in the next five to 10 years.

Those projections could mean anywhere from 700 to 1,000 additional students going to Cashion Public Schools.

All told, it’s estimated Cashion will have between 1,400 and 1,700 students.

For comparison, Kingfi sher, the county’s largest school district, currently has just over 1,300 students enrolled.

Despite the steady growth for the last 15 years, Cashion’s facilities haven’t been able to keep up.

Two different bond issues were voted down in 2018, one for $21 million (53.6 of the 541 total voters were in favor, but short of the super majority) and the other for $25.5 million (this time 1,124 people voted with a majority - 575 - checking the ‘no’ box).

In September 2019, voters did pass a pair of bonds. One was for $10.875 million, which dealt mostly with renovations at the elementary and middle schools. It passed with 70 percent voting in favor.

The other was for $8.885 million and approved the construction of a new track facility and relocation of the baseball field. It passed with 64 percent approval.

But the school renovations weren’t going to fix Cashion’s need for space.

The district again went to voters in May 2023 with a $21.5 million bond issue. It fell 16 votes shy of passing.

But this one, the biggest of them all, made its way through.

“At the end of the day, one thing is clear: This community cares about its kids,” Hood said. “We’re all in this together and I’m so grateful to be part of it.”

What will Cashion’s bond issue purchase?

The biggest is a 30,000 square foot expansion of the high school.

To make room for that, the current football field will need to be relocated across State Highway 74F and will sit inside the track.

That relocation is part of Cashion’s lease-purchase portion of its plan.

“The solution starts with a lease purchase to cover some of the cost by using direct funding without using bond money,” Hood said.

It includes repurposing the existing bleachers at the track for the visitors side while also adding new home bleachers and a press box.

Also part of the lease-purchase plan would be:

• Upgrading the softball field with new turf;

• Repurposing the existing football fieldhouse to accommodate wrestling;

• Repurposing the green room for both cheer and elementary PE;

• Repurposing the current wrestling room into a new FFA classroom.

The lease-purchase portion is $3.5 million, or about 12.1 percent of the construction costs.

The next part is what will be funded by bond proceeds.

The high school expansion would take place in the area where the football field currently sits.

It will include:

• Six new classrooms doubling as safe rooms;

• Four science labs;

• Secure entry and office spaces;

• New kitchen/commons area/cafeteria;

• New parking lot; It will also fund the construction of a new fieldhouse at the current track facility.

This bond portion is $25.5 million, or 87.9 percent of the construction.

The additional part of the bond covers the interest over its life.

Hood said some of the work will start almost immediately.

“We plan to immediately secure the lease purchase to relocate the football facility to the track and install turf on the softball field,” Hood said.

Construction is set to begin in May with both projects expected to be finished by early August.

Other work will begin in the summer months.

“Once bond sales are finalized, those projects will kick off this summer as well,” Hood said. “If all goes according to plan, the fieldhouse will be completed by August 2026 and the new high school addition will be ready by August 2027.”

That’s a little ways down the road, but one thing was for certain: Cashion people were happy that February night in 2025.

“When the polls closed, we gathered in the gym, waiting anxiously. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so stressed,” Hood said. “And then, when the final precincts came in, the room just exploded – cheers, high fives, hugs and so many smiles.

“It wasn’t just about passing the bond. It was about what this means for our students and the future of our schools,” Hood continued.

“These improvements are a huge step forward for our students, athletes and the entire community. We’re so grateful for the support and can’t wait to see it all come to life.”