FOX, OK - Fox Public Schools passed a $1.2 million bond back in 2007 to make improvements to the school, but after construction started the school district found out the original bond wouldn't cover the complete cost. Last November they tried to pass a bond to pay for the difference, but it failed. Now school officials are hoping that this time around residents will come through for the school before they have to take drastic measures.

A sharp increase in the price of metal during construction of the school's new roof forced the Fox school board to make a decision - leave the roof unfinished or agree to pay off the cost of the roof over several months, putting the school $250,000 in debt.

"You know we didn't cut any corners on it. We wanted everything to be exactly as it was the board voted to do that, so when we did except that the board felt the community would support us doing it like it was supposed to be," says Superintendent Brent Phelps.

Phelps says by passing the $400,000 bond taxpayers would agree to pay $2.18 for every $100 they pay in property taxes. The money would not only pay for the extended payment plan on the roof, but would also go toward the construction of a new all-purpose facility.

"A lot of times people want to do things there may not be the facility for it. The facility we're wanting to do would be concrete floor, heat and air. It would be a type of building people can come do things in and be proud of it."

Agriculture teacher Mike Kirkpatrick says the new facility would be used for school functions like proms and banquets and would also give ag students a place to keep livestock, but would be available to the public when it was not in use.

"We're going to have a barn about three or four days a year but the rest of the time we're going to have a facility that the community can use," Kirkpatrick says.

Phelps says if the bond does not pass this time he will be forced to take the money from the school's general fund, and says with the uncertainty of month to month funding from the state, it could be a very big cut to the school.

"Our top goal is to affect the students as little as possible, and if the bond did not pass that would be the approach, that we would take to see what we would need to do."

The new bond would last for five years, and after it expired would not be eligible for an extension.