Falls School District seeks support from voters
By LAUREL BEAGER
Voters in the International Falls school district will be asked on the Aug. 13 ballot two questions to support districtwide facility needs.
The Falls School Board Monday voted to use the Aug. 13 primary election to ask voters two referendum questions.
The first question asks voters to approve providing $13.95 million to the district for building and site repairs, safety and security enhancements and learning space updates.
The second question asks voters to support proving $4.48 million to address undersized locker rooms in the ice arena and stadium.
Information sessions about the referendum will be at 7 p.m. June 17 and 7 p.m. July 15. They will follow the school board meetings to have presentations and tours if desired to show what is proposed.
District Superintendent Kevin Grover said the vote of the school board to ask voters the question “was the culmination of a community-based strategic plan, a comprehensive facility assessment, and a thoughtful prioritization process that fit our District’s needs and goals,” he said. “If approved by voters, these referendums will address priority needs at each of our schools, which we cannot address within our annual budget.”
Approval of the referendum questions would impact property owners.
Question No. 1 is estimated to cause an increase of $96 in the annual tax on an average home value of $161,200, reported Grover.
Question No. 2 would add $36 to the annual estimate tax on the same valued home.
The investment that would come with approval of the referendums would extend the life of the district’s buildings and provide quality learning environments that attract and retain students, staff, and families, Gover said.
If yes?
If Question No. 1 is approved, Grover said the district would be able to:
- Upgrade heating, controls, and insulation for improved comfort
- Updated HS kitchen equipment to expand food service and improve health
- Update to LED lighting to reduce cost
- Replace outdated data cabling throughout the schools for improved technology
- Repair building exteriors (incl. Seal Window Joints &Tuck-pointing)
- Update playground equipment for student safety
- Update restrooms
- Provide elevator to 2nd floor for ADA Accessibility
- Enhance security at Elementary School with new main entrance and office, including controlled access and security cameras
- Expand construction lab spaces for Career and Technical Education
- Right-size Special Education and Pre-K classrooms
- Equip STEM/STEAM classrooms with updated technology
- Update air exchange in pool along with adding dehumidification
Approval of Question No. 2 means the outdated and undersized locker rooms in the Ice Arena and Bronco Stadium would be addressed.
Why now?
Rising costs limit the district’s ability to fully address operational and facility needs in the annual budget, he said in a news statement.
And, waiting even one year could increase costs up to 8 percent, due to rising construction costs, the superintendent said.
Grover said the facility investments are needed to:
- Update Career & Technical Education, Special Education, and the more than 60-year-old classrooms to meet today’s educational demands.
- Prevent emergency repairs that disrupt learning.
- Meet the changing needs of learning that has shifted to a more flexible and technology-driven approach.
More info?
The district has created a referendum website – InternationalFalls.ReferendumFacts.org — and will continue to provide information to the public in a variety of ways, including social media, mailings, and community tours of the building, Grover said.
Information sessions about the referendum will be at 7 p.m. June 17 and 7 p.m. July 15.
