By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

HAMILTON - Parents, teachers, staff and community members will soon be asked for their ideas on what should be included in six elementary schools that will be constructed in the Middletown district.

Tuesday's passage of the $75.8 million bond issue will allow the district to proceed with the elementary phase of a $150.8 million master plan approved by the school board earlier this week.

But in the Talawanda Schools educators won't know the outcome of a $9.2 million bond issue until walk-in votes are checked and counted Nov. 17. The unofficial count from Butler and Preble counties shows the issue failed by just 10 votes, 3,749 to 3,739.

"We preserved the neighborhood concept (in the master plan) so the community could have access to the buildings,'' said Middletown Superintendent Steve Price. "Our projections show the groundbreaking for the first school a year from now.''

School officials estimated it would take four or five years to construct the buildings.

Plans for a new school to replace Stewart Elementary in the Talawanda Schools are on hold until the board of elections makes a final tally and then determines whether a recount is necessary.

"We're very frustrated,'' Talawanda Superintendent Phil Cagwin said. "We're always thankful to those who continue to support the schools and kids but disappointed we haven't been able to get this issue to pass (after three tries)."

If it is determined the issue failed, board president Glenn Bailey, who lost his bid for re-election, said he would bring board members-elect Mark Butterfield, Michael Sheff and Darrell Smith into discussions before determining whether to put the issue back on the ballot in March. The deadline for doing that is Dec. 18 - two weeks before the new board is seated.

"There were quite a few walk-ins. There's still a little bit of hope,'' Bailey said.

In Fairfield, incumbent Nancy Wenning was the top vote getter in a field of five candidates for two, four-year terms. Challenger Terry Senger, a former Fairfield councilman, was also elected.

In a second race for a two-year term on the Fairfield board, incumbent and board president Anne Crone beat challenger Arnold Engel.

In the three-year-old Monroe Local Schools, incumbent Suzi Rubin - who was part of the original committee to split from Middletown - lost her re-election bid in a three-way race for two seats.

Incumbent Jamie Pierce was the top vote getter. He was followed by Chris Snyder, who served on the successful 2001 campaign to pass a $29.9 million bond issue to build a new school.

E-mail suek@infionline.net