School leaders in Colcord are disappointed after two bond proposals narrowly failed this week. 

The bond issues would have provided about $6.7 million for more classroom space and some tornado shelters for the small rural school system.

"These two bonds are really big for us to be able to serve our families and kids," said Superintendent Bud Simmons.

He says the bond would have built a new cafeteria at the elementary school allowing for the old one to be converted into classrooms space. A new Ag building would've also gone up at this growing district. But neither of those projects will happen now after both proposals failed, just a few votes away from the 60 percent needed to pass

"We did gain a lot of ground, as they did fail, but they failed really close, 56/57 percent each proposal," Simmons said.

A major concern for Simmons is student safety, both new buildings would have doubled as storm shelters, big enough for the entire district. Superintendent Simmons says like so many Oklahoma Schools, Colcord is no stranger to tornado scares. 

"We had a tornado warning last year during school hours," Simmons said. "I thought about my wife, wondered when we had that tornado warning about our child, was our child safe? Even though she was here at the school, she knows we don't have tornado shelters here."

Ag teacher Casey Denton has the same concerns for his students. He's surprised the proposals didn't pass.

"It's just a long-standing tradition in rural Oklahoma to vote no on property tax increases and that's just the way it is," Denton said.

 But like everyone else at Colcord Schools, he's hopeful voters will come around.

 "We're gonna keep going until we get something for our kids because they need it," he said.

Superintendent Simmons says the same proposals could be on the ballot again as early as this August.