When the long-range planning process began several years ago, a goal was set to focus on key facility needs. Safety and security, aging buildings, outdated educational spaces, and capacity needs drove what’s being proposed on May’s ballot. Decisions like this, although filled with anticipation, are often complex.

Although we would love to be able to make every decision based on educational merit alone, as a public school district in Minnesota, we know that we need to make decisions with a balanced perspective between educational, financial, and political considerations. This three-legged stool approach is kept in mind when choices are made - even more so for a decision like a building bond referendum. Here’s how we approached this referendum decision with that approach in mind:

Educational: It’s no secret - where students learn is important. The proposed referendum will make improvements across all buildings and provide spaces that further foster learning for all students. We are addressing capacity across all grade levels, repurposing underutilized space at the Primary and Intermediate School, modernizing our Career and Technical Education (CTE) spaces in our High School, and creating small group and collaborative spaces at the Middle School.

Financial: Our community members expect us to use their taxpayer dollars wisely - a responsibility we do not take lightly. Honoring the investment of our community taxpayers, we strive to strategically use those dollars to benefit our students in the best ways possible. If approved, our $37.5 million proposed referendum would result in a $0 net tax increase above the current tax rate.

Political: Our community members and their opinions are integral to our success as a district. That’s why we surveyed our community members last fall to understand their comfort level with a potential bond referendum. The survey found that 70% of all community members that took the survey said they would support the District exploring a bond referendum that does not increase taxes above the current rate. We are not asking for anything beyond what our community members told us they would support.

Early voting for the referendum is available starting March 26 through May 10 and Election Day is Tuesday, May 11. To request an absentee ballot, visit https://www.bulldogsstrong.com/vote. Make sure to visit https://www.bulldogsstrong.com/ for more information. Go Bulldogs!