On Tuesday, voters in Gray and New Gloucester rejected two School Administrative District 15 bond referendum questions, which would have authorize spending for school renovations and the construction of a new high school athletic complex.

Question 1, which would have authorized $6.62 million in spending for school construction and renovations, as well as a new athletic complex, failed in a 2,928-3,832 vote. In Gray, voters rejected the question in a 1,792-2,157 vote. In New Gloucester, the question failed 1,136-1,675.

Question 2, which would have authorized $738,000 in spending toward artificial turf for high school school stadium field improvements, failed in a 1,377-5,340 combined vote. Gray voters rejected the question in a 864-3,072 vote. In New Gloucester, the question failed in a 513-2,268 vote.

The school board had originally proposed the spending as one comprehensive, $7.4 million bond package that funded new classrooms and meeting rooms, a renovated portico, and improvements to the parking lot at Gray-New Gloucester Middle School, as well as science lab renovations and the construction of a new athletic complex at the high school, including a multi-use field with synthetic turf.

Facing criticism that the board had not given voters enough choice in the matter, the board eventually voted to shift the $738,000 in proposed synthetic turf spending into a separate referendum question.