Wright City R-II School District voters favored both incumbents and supported an $11-million bond measure to construct a performance gym at the new high school in Tuesday’s election. 

In a competitive race for two open seats on the Wright City R-II Board of Education, incumbents Austin Jones and Mary Groeper were re-elected, beating challengers Frank Zykan and write-in candidate John Woehrle.

The other measure on the ballot was a $11-million no-tax increase bond measure, also known as Prop G. 

Prop G, the district’s bond measure for the new gym, received 733 votes, or 69.48%, in support compared to 322 votes, or 30.52% in opposition. The bond measure needed a four-sevenths majority for passages, or 57.14% for passage.

School Board results

In a four-person race for two open spots on the R-II Board of Education, Jones received 572, or 32.84% of votes, while Groeper received 609, or 34.96% of votes. 

Zykan and Woehrle were the other two candidates. Zykan received 446, or 25.60% of votes, while Woehrle had 115, or 6.60% of votes.  

Jones will serve his ninth term on the R-II board. 

“I’m humbled and as I was thinking about it, I realized I have had a lot of help along the way from my wife and friends – I couldn’t have done it on my own,” Jones said. “I also feel good for the kids of Wright City because of Prop G passing. That was just the icing on the cake for the kids and we’re doing things right for the kids.” 

Groeper will serve her 11th term with the R-II School District. 

“I’m just ecstatic and I am so happy that our community supported the school and supported Austin and I,” Groeper said. 

Prop G Results

The passage of Prop G will allow the R-II school district to proceed with phase two of the new high school project. 

Currently, the new high school that opened earlier this year has an auxiliary gym, which primarily serves as a FEMA storm shelter and accommodates gym classes and some athletic practices. With the voter approval, the high school will now have a performance gym, which will allow for varsity-level sporting and large events. 

A time frame for the gym’s construction has not been finalized. 

“The Wright City R-II School District is incredibly grateful for the support of our community in passing the bond issue. Your support for our district allows us to continue expanding and enhancing our facilities to better serve student needs,” district officials said. “This investment will not only prioritize student safety but also provide a larger space for activities, athletics, and community events — strengthening our Wildcat spirit and bringing our stakeholders together.”

Now that the bond issue has passed, it will allow the R-II School District to complete Phase II of the new Wright City High School construction. 

According to the ballot language, the district's debt service is estimated to remain unchanged at $0.9995 per $100 of assessed valuation.

“As we move forward, we remain dedicated to using taxpayer dollars responsibly and with integrity. Communication will be a priority throughout the process, and we will provide regular updates on the project's progress through our website. Thank you for your trust and support in helping us build a stronger future for Wright City students,” district officials said.