AUSTIN, Minn. – Two multi-million dollar school bond got different responses from southern Minnesota voters Tuesday.

In Austin, residents rejected a $24.885M bond referendum.

The school district says the measure was defeated at the ballot box Tuesday, with 1,692 “No” votes and 1,498 “Yes” Votes.

The Austin school board voted in January to place the funding request before voters, seeking money for additions and renovations at Woodson Kindergarten Center. The bond would have paid for 16 new classrooms, an additional gymnasium and office space, kitchen and cafeteria remodeling, and new playgrounds.

On the other hand, a $9.1 million bond referendum was approved Tuesday by voters in the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School District. It received 696 “Yes” votes to 420 “No” votes.

The money will be used to make improvements at the Elementary and Secondary schools. Among other projects, there will be security upgrades at the Elementary in Ellendale and classroom upgrades at the Secondary school in New Richland.