After months of campaigning, the efforts of the ad-hoc committee resulted in disappointment as DeKalb School District 428’s $39.8 referendum failed at the polls.

Last time a referendum was at the ballots in March, it failed 70-30.

“We made significant strides, but it doesn’t appear good,” School Board President Don Robinson said.

The results looked positive at first with only a couple of the precincts reporting, but optimism decreased as more results came in.

“I’m certainly disappointed,” ad-hoc member Mike Larson said. “I thought it was a good plan. I’m not sure how the next 10 years will be like.”

The committee hosted several community meetings before voting day, but the people who came to the meetings weren’t enough, Larson said.

“I really believe a lot of people didn’t realize it’s for the children,” ad-hoc member Mike Teboda said. “The schools are overcrowded, and they’re not going to get better.”

Superintendent Brian Ali agreed.

“The conditions still remain,” Ali said. “We don’t have additional space for the children.”

Whether the referendum will have another shot in April is yet to be decided. The school board has until early next year to decide.

Teboda said he hopes another plan will be ready for the spring elections.

“I don’t know what you would take away from the plan that’s on the table,” Larson said.

Ali said he hopes there will be a solution in the immediate future to continue the school district’s “fine tradition.”

“We need to design a cost-effective response to the needs,” he said.

Anne Almburg, ad-hoc member and a teacher at Jefferson Elementary, said great strides were made, despite the result.

“We got it 15 percent higher than before,” Almburg said. “We have to continue to educate the people of DeKalb and show it’s a necessity.”