The Process
How was the referendum plan created?
The proposed referendum is the product of nearly three years of research and discussion. Since 2022, our district has taken several steps to fully understand the extent of our challenges and what is needed to address them. These steps included:
Seven public listening sessions to identify the top needs of our school building. During these sessions, teachers, students, and community members prioritized improvements to HVAC systems, parking areas, common space, physical education spaces, and restrooms.
Third-party analysis of our district’s current and projected enrollment, which projects student enrollment to remain steady over the next decade.
An educational adequacy study to determine how our school compares to guidelines set by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The study found that Badger Elementary and High School spaces did meet standards for many of the 18 categories studied. Categories included classroom size and suitability, security, physical education space, and career and technical education space. You can learn more about our building’s challenges here.
Budget projections to determine future funding needs. These projections informed the amounts requested by each of the ballot questions.
A Community Action Committee (CAC) was created to help the school board determine the best long-term solution for our district.
