Frustrations are mounting in the town of Dell Rapids where supporters of a new elementary school have been turned down a fourth time. The school district says the town desperately needs more space to teach students, but Monday night, voters narrowly rejected a $10.9 million dollar bond issue that would have paid for the new school by just 14 votes, or less than one percent.

It needed 60 percent to pass, but the Secretary of Education says the community has other options.

Getting a bond issue passed isn't always easy, as people in Dell Rapids are finding out. 

"It's hard to say a district should have done this or shouldn't have done that.  It just depends on each school district and what their needs are and what the makeup of the community is," Secretary of Education Tom Oster said.

Dell Rapids is made up of two schools, one of which is private. 

"Those folks are probably thinking they're not receiving any benefits from that so it's hard to tell.  That's not to say some of those folks aren't voting for it, but every community is different," Oster said.

Oster says one way other school districts have been successful in passing bond issues is by joining with city government. Passing a joint bond issue only requires a 50 percent plus one vote to pass. 

"If the city of Dell Rapids and the school district would work together on something and I'm not sure exactly what they are building in Dell Rapids, but if there is something the city would want to buy into, then they can work that out together," Oster said.

A district could also issue capital outlay certificates to pay for a school, which wouldn't require any vote at all. But that's not an option in Dell Rapids, one school board member says, because the district doesn't have enough capital.

The Dell Rapids School Board will discuss its next move at the next school board meeting.