FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

+ What are the primary issues at our school buildings?

1. Our schools need to be safe and healthy. Our buildings lack dedicated secure entrances. HVAC systems are outdated, which affects air quality. The restrooms at the high school are 50 years old with limited accessibility, while the crowded drop-off and pick-up loop at Century is raising safety concerns. Further, our undersized bus garage is too small to store all of our buses indoors during the winter, and it’s located in an area that is hazardous for bus drivers when crossing Highway 34.
2. Our schools need more space for projected enrollment growth. Based on a demographic study completed in 2019, the district has seen a 6% increase in enrollment over the previous 10 years and is projected to see a 10% increase over the next 10 years. To better manage limited space, the school board decided to move ahead with grade realignment by fall of 2022, regardless of the referendum results.
3. Our schools need to support career and college readiness. High school classrooms designed in 1970 can’t provide teachers and students the functionality and adaptability they need to support a modern curriculum. Overall, our high school building fails to meet state standards for educational adequacy in almost half of the categories put forth by the Minnesota Department of Education.

+ Didn’t the district properly maintain the buildings?

Our buildings have been well maintained, but there are growing infrastructure issues caused by aging that simply can’t be addressed with our current maintenance budget. Further, educational standards change over time, and we must adapt our schools to meet those standards. The proposed referendum focuses on our high school, which opened in 1970. After 50 years, the high school building needs significant updates to ensure a safe and healthy environment, provide enough space for growing enrollment, and support college and career readiness.

+ Why aren't we building new schools?

The district explored the option of building new schools and determined our schools don't need to be replaced. However, they do need to be renovated to be safe and healthy, create more space for individual and collaborative learning, and improve career and technical education.

+ How will this plan help our students perform better in the real world after graduation?

Healthier and safer schools that are designed for modern teaching and curriculum will help all students succeed. Educational standards change over time, and we must adapt our schools to meet those standards now and into the future.

+ Will federal COVID funding take care of our building needs?

Our district is eligible for $1.7 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, which will help us manage short-term costs related to COVID-19. However, this funding is for one-time expenses with specific rules on how the money can be used. Overall, ESSER funding is not nearly enough to address the full scope of our building needs.

+ Why is grade realignment so important?

Realigning grades benefits both our early childhood students and 7th and 8th graders. By moving early childhood into an elementary setting, our PreK students will have the right transitions and collaboration with other early learners under one roof. For our 7th and 8th graders, moving to the high school campus will expose them to more opportunities, including CTE, FFA, BPA, and the 20+ Panther Tracks program (including tracks such as agriculture, engineering, health care and the arts).

Grade realignment also maximizes our building space. Moving our 7th and 8th graders out of Century provides room for early childhood, and moving early childhood out of Frank White creates room for a new high school addition to accommodate 7th and 8th graders.

+What does this plan do?

Based on community input, research and years of planning, the school board asked voters to consider a single ballot question that would provide $51.65 million to accomplish the following goals:

Improve health and safety in our schools. Provide more space for projected enrollment growth. Improve college and career readiness. Update existing educational spaces.

Voters approved the ballot question on November 2, 2021. As part of the plan, the Frank White building will be demolished, and our early childhood programs will relocate to Century, putting all PreK-6 students under one roof. 7th and 8th graders will move to a new wing at the high school, which will be built where the Frank White building stands now. The plan will also support the construction of a new bus garage.

+ Who came up with this plan?

Since 2019, our district has been researching, planning and gathering input on the future of our schools. We engaged staff, residents, community leaders, and independent experts to help us identify and prioritize the needs of our schools, including:

• 19 listening sessions with students, staff and residents.
• A scientific survey of 400 district residents.
• An online community survey that received 344 completed responses from district residents.
• Detailed analysis of our buildings by experts at ICS, including assessments of future enrollment, district finances, facility infrastructure, educational adequacy and building capacity.

+ How does this plan benefit our local taxpayers who don’t have students in school?

Park Rapids Area Schools supports the quality of life for residents and strengthens our local economy. A successful school district – with updated buildings that support modern curriculum – helps draw new families and new businesses to our region.

+ How is a plan like this funded?

With voter approval of the ballot question, funding will come from the sale of general obligation bonds. It is estimated that the State of Minnesota will pay almost 10% of the total cost through the Ag2School tax credit for agricultural landowners. In addition, the school board has resolved to invest $4.57 million in internal funding sources and one-time federal relief dollars to lower the cost of the plan for taxpayers.

+ What are the other funding sources the district is using?

First, the district will use $1.7 million in Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) bonds to replace the oldest portions of the roof at the high school, which are nearing the end of useful life, and replace the building’s 50-year-old exterior metal wall panels, which are worn out and peeling after decades of exposure.

Park Rapids Area Schools is eligible for up to $1.7 million in ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Relief) federal aid. This is one-time money that can be used to help manage COVID expenses, including some facility repairs and improvements. The district will use this funding to replace the HVAC systems at the high school to improve air quality, and rebuild the tennis courts at Century.

Finally, the district will use $1 million in Capital Facility bonds to replace the boiler and chiller plants at Century to improve heating, cooling and temperature control.

+ Why tear down the Frank White Education Center?

The Frank White Education Center is 60 years old and beyond repair. The building’s aging roof and ventilation systems need to be replaced, and the estimated budget for these repairs exceeds $3,000,000. The district has determined that the costs to renovate the Frank White building far exceed the benefits for students, staff, and taxpayers.

+ How much space will the new construction provide?

If voters approve the referendum, the added total square footage at the high school would be approximately 74,550. By demolishing the district's oldest and most inefficient school building, Frank White, the net gain of square footage would be approximately 38,750 square feet.

+ Why do we need a new bus garage?

The current bus garage is undersized to store and maintain all the district's school buses, meaning some buses must be parked outside in the elements. Further, when the bus drivers leave to pick up students, they must cross Highway 34 at a place that does not have any traffic control, creating safety concerns.

As part of the plan approved by voters, a new bus garage built on district property will provide space to store all buses, including a wash bay and shop area to ensure buses can be properly maintained. Bus drivers will be able to leave and return without having to navigate an unsafe traffic area.

+ Why change the way grades are organized?

Our current grade alignment presents various challenges. At Century, our 7th and 8th graders are missing opportunities to be introduced to hands-on learning that they would have at the high school campus. Likewise, at the Frank White Education Center, our PreK students are missing opportunities for greater support and teacher collaboration that they would have at Century with our younger grades.

+ Why was only one option presented to the community?

State law does not permit different facility options to be presented to voters at the same time.

+ What is a bond referendum?

In Minnesota, voters decide whether school districts can increase property taxes to pay for the bonds used for renovating and building school facilities. Like a loan on a car or mortgage on a house, the bonds need to be repaid over time plus interest.

+ How does using bonds work?

A bond is like a mortgage on your house, allowing all necessary investments to be made now while paying off the cost over 22 years. With construction costs increasing each year, it is less expensive to pay the interest on the bonds than to complete construction projects over many years.

+ How well did the district manage the debt from the last successful referendum?

The district has diligently watched interest rates, refinancing the debt on Century School twice – creating a taxpayer savings of $4.2 million over the life of the bond. In 2025, the remaining bond payments for the Century referendum will be paid off, so the district is looking to address the next set of building investments.

+ What is the Ag2School tax credit?

The Ag2School tax credit reduces the property tax impact of school debt levies for owners of agricultural land. This is a tax credit available to agricultural land, except the value of the house, garage, and one acre of land surrounding an agricultural homestead. The Ag2School program provides a 60% tax credit for qualifying property in 2022 and is scheduled to increase to 70% by 2023.

+ Do owners of farmland need to apply for the Ag2School tax credit?

No. There is no application for owners of farmland – this is an automatic tax credit paid directly by the state.

+ How will the referendum affect my taxes?

A residential home in the district with a median value of $200,000 will see an estimated tax increase of $9 per month starting in 2022. Homeowners, as well as owners of seasonal, business or agricultural property, can find tax impact information for their property using our tax calculator here.

+ Who decides the rate I pay for bonds?

The State of Minnesota sets the tax rate. Your county of residence then assesses your property and estimates the value it would likely sell for on the open market, which is one factor used in determining your property tax.

+ Won’t the higher taxes hurt our local business owners?

Construction projects are less expensive when done at the same time than when executed piecemeal over a number of years. Just like remodeling your home, doing all these projects at once saves the district and taxpayers money. Ultimately, residents determined whether the benefits of this plan justified the costs – that’s why we held a referendum.

+ How much will this project cost?

Voters approved one ballot question for $51.65 million that will address our most urgent needs at the high school and Century. This includes improving security at both schools, realigning grades and renovating and expanding our high school – including modernizing classrooms, expanding space for career and technical education, updating the auditorium and adding a gymnasium. The plan will also create a second drop-off and pick-up loop at Century and provide a new bus garage.

A residential home in the district with a median value of $200,000 will see a tax increase of $9 per month starting in 2022. You can view your estimated tax impact by visiting our tax calculator here.

+ Is the district buying property for the new additions?

No. By demolishing the Frank White Education Center and maximizing other property the district owns, no new property will be needed for these investments.

+ How do we know the project will stay on budget?

The district has worked closely with ICS, a consulting firm experienced in school construction, to ensure the project will remain on time and on budget. In addition, cost estimates were made based on industry standards and local market conditions. Costs were calculated conservatively to limit the potential of a projected budget shortfall.

+ Now that the referendum passed, what happens next?

The district will move into the design stage. Further input from staff and community members will be sought on design details. Construction of the project will likely be bid in early 2023, with renovation and construction estimated to begin in the spring of 2023 and completion by the late summer of 2025.

+ How will the construction and remodeling project be managed?

ICS is one of the most experienced and successful project management firms in Minnesota. The district has retained their services for construction management. The project budget also includes architectural and financial expertise that the Minnesota Department of Education requires to approve a project.

+ What is the timeline for design and construction?

The district will move into the design phase, which will take approximately one year. Bidding would likely take place by March 2023. Once bidding is finished, renovation and construction would likely begin in May 2023, with completion in late summer of 2025.

+ Will the school district use local contractors for this project?

By law, any school project with a value greater than $175,000 must be bid and awarded to the lowest bidder. The district will use a process that informs and encourages local bidders, while still respecting the state law. If local contractors are the low bidders, the school district will use local contractors.

+ What will happen to students during construction?

Currently, the plan is to relocate the programs at Frank White Education Center to allow the new high school additions to be constructed first. Once that is complete, students will be moved into the new additions to allow renovations to take place in the existing high school building. The construction at Century will be done last to ensure limited disruptions to classrooms.