SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (KTTC) – Kingsland Public Schools, which serves Spring Valley, Wykoff and surrounding communities, is putting two questions to voters on the ballot Tuesday. If both pass, the construction bond referendum would bring maintenance improvements to the school as well as new space to address physical education and community education needs.

“Our needs for physical facilities remain and have only increased on an emergency basis,” the school district’s referendum website said. “Our school needs improved and dedicated spaces to meet today’s educational needs.”

According to Kingsland Public Schools, the first question asks for $8.9 million, with the goal of meeting the maintenance needs of the school building. The money will go toward replacing the existing roof that Superintendent Scott Klavetter said was damaged during a storm three years ago.

“Our current roofs are just starting to reach their life expectancy,” he said. “The gym roof was replaced two years ago. Everything else must be replaced. We have spots that are actively leaking and other spots that have been patched recently.”

The construction bond will also fund the school’s aging infrastructure, including its mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems at the K-12 Spring Valley campus. It would improve existing curbs, sidewalks and paved parking areas.

Question two, which requests $11.5 million, proposes adding new gym space to support physical education use during the school day, along with additional classroom space that could be for community education or other uses. Since the school’s current gym is used as a cafeteria space during the day, Klavetter said students don’t have an adequate space to rest, especially if the weather is inclement outside.

“If it’s too cold or wet to go outside, then recess is in the classroom,” he said.

The referendum would also bring new improved locker rooms that are ADA compliant. “The locker rooms we currently use for our high school are original to the 1957 building and not much has changed since then,” Klavetter added.

According to two Spring Valley business owners, the two ballot questions are easy to answer when you consider the school’s needs.

“My thoughts are all we need to do to support our local youth and our school district,” said Steve Atwood. “For the little it will cost the family, I think it’s a good move for our school.”

“A lot of people have grandchildren in the area. (The school district has) such a good package that they’ve put together that’s not overwhelming.”

It is important to note that question one must be approved by voters in order for question two to pass. If both referendums go forward, a $200,000 residential home in the district will pay about $8.78 a month starting next year. For a single-homestead farmer, the tax impact is less than 10 cents per acre each month.

If both questions are approved, the referendum will last 25 years, but if only one of the questions passes, it will last 15 years. For more information on both referendums, visit Kingsland’s bond site.

Find stories like this and others, in our applications.

Copyright 2024 KTTC. All rights reserved.