Understanding How Your Feedback Shaped the Bond Referendum Plan

As we approach the November 4th bond referendum vote, we want to provide complete transparency about how our $25 million proposal evolved from initial planning through community feedback to the final plan you’ll vote on.

The Role of the Community Survey
In April 2025, Minnewaska Area Schools conducted a comprehensive community survey to gather feedback on potential facility improvements. This survey was not a preliminary vote or a binding commitment. Rather, it served as a critical tool to ensure the school board was heading in the right direction and to understand:

• Which facility improvements were most important to our community
• What level of financial investment our community could reasonably support
• How to prioritize among many competing needs

The survey was conducted by School Perceptions, an independent research firm specializing in K-12 community surveys and stakeholder engagement.

Survey Results: What We Learned

889 community members responded to the survey, representing a 17% response rate. The feedback was invaluable:

Tax Tolerance: The data showed clear community preferences for investment levels:

• $25 million: 60.5% support
• $35 million: 45.2% support
• $45 million: 27% support

The message was clear: our community supported facility improvements, but wanted the district to work within a $25 million budget.

Priorities: When asked about additional projects beyond critical maintenance, respondents identified childcare facilities, pool, and community wellness/recreation spaces as top priorities.

The Refinement Process: April to June 2025

Following the survey, the school board did not simply move forward with a predetermined plan. Instead, they engaged in an intensive two-month refinement process:

Additional Stakeholder Meetings: The board held multiple follow-up sessions with community members, architects, and contractors to discuss priorities and gather more precise cost information.

Local Cost Estimates: The district worked with local contractors to obtain detailed, project-specific cost estimates that allowed the board to finalize the scope and budget for each component.

Scope Adjustments: The board carefully adjusted project scopes to fit community priorities within the $25 million budget. For example, an initial concept for multi-use recreation space was estimated at $13 million. Through careful planning and scope refinement, this was reduced to approximately $8 million while still delivering the multi-use space identified as a priority.

Balancing Act: The goal was to address multiple community priorities – critical building maintenance, safety improvements, childcare needs, and multi-use space – all within the tax tolerance level the community had indicated.

Key Decisions Made:

The board chose to incorporate high-priority “additional projects” from the survey (particularly childcare and community wellness facilities) into the $25 million plan rather than pursuing a larger referendum that survey data suggested would have significantly lower community support.

This approach meant making strategic choices about scope and scale for each component while ensuring all critical building systems and safety needs were addressed.

The Final Plan: Five Key Investment Areas

In June 2025, the school board finalized the plan and submitted the Review and Comment document to the Minnesota Department of Education. The $25 million plan includes:

1. Critical Building Reinvestment – Replacing failing HVAC systems, updating the parking lot for safety, maintaining the pool filtration system, replacing auditorium seating, and other essential maintenance.
2. Enhanced Security – Creating secure entrances at both buildings with controlled access, upgrading door lock systems, and improving visitor management.
3. Childcare Addition – Constructing a licensed childcare facility at the elementary school to address the community’s top priority. This project leverages $1 million from Pope County, and a potential $1.875 million in USDA Rural Development grant funding and private business donations and scholarships.
4. Learning Space Improvements – Renovating and expanding Career and Technical Education spaces, updating media centers at both schools, and improving accessibility.
5. Community Wellness Facilities – Adding multi-use, weight room and rehabilitation spaces that serve both students during school hours and the broader community outside school hours, addressing survey feedback about recreation and wellness priorities.

External Funding Partners:

An important aspect of the final plan is the significant external support the district has secured or is pursuing:

• Pope County: $1 million contribution toward childcare facility
• USDA Rural Development: $1.875 million grant application in process for childcare facility
• Business partnerships: Supporting childcare center through scholarships and donations

This external support will allow for added enhancements beyond the $25 million bond referendum scope.

Transparency and Accountability

All planning documents, cost breakdowns, and the complete MDE Review and Comment document are available on this website or attached to this article. The district remains committed to:

• Answering any questions about the planning process or specific projects
• Providing detailed financial information and tax impact calculators
• Community input
• Maintaining the lowest property tax rate among area school districts

Financial Context

For agricultural property owners, the Ag2School Tax Credit provides a 70% reduction in the school portion of property taxes, significantly lowering the impact.

Detailed tax impact information and calculators are available at www.minnewaska.k12.mn.us/bond-vote/tax-impact/

Questions and Additional Information

We encourage you to:

• Review all planning documents on this website
• Use the tax calculator to see your specific impact
• Contact the district office at (320) 239-4820 with questions

Voting Information

Vote early and absentee: Now – November 3 at the MAS District Office, Door #1 – Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All absentee ballots must be turned in by 8 p.m. on election night, Nov. 4, to the District Office. Pope County Courthouse will not accept absentee ballots.

Election Day: Vote Tuesday, November 4 at the Pope County Courthouse – 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please note: This special election is a combined polling place between the MAS District and the Pope County Courthouse, which differs from the past special election.