2026 School Facility Bond Referendum

The School Board determined that significant facility needs exist across the district and that many of those needs cannot be addressed through routine maintenance alone.

The district spent several years conducting facility assessments, enrollment studies, educational adequacy reviews, community surveys, Facilities Committee meetings, and Board work sessions. That work identified needs involving safety, security, accessibility, infrastructure, classrooms, and the Ellis Middle School pool.

The referendum allows voters to decide whether those identified needs should be addressed through a planned investment.

The facility needs identified through professional assessments and district planning did not disappear after the 2025 referendum.

Following the election, the School Board continued reviewing facility conditions, project priorities, community feedback, and available funding options. That work helped refine priorities and identify a more focused approach centered on safety, accessibility, infrastructure, classrooms, and the Ellis Middle School pool.

The Board's responsibility is to continue evaluating documented facility needs and determine the most responsible path forward for students, taxpayers, and the community.

The School Board reviewed facility assessments, educational adequacy studies, project costs, community feedback, enrollment projections, and multiple funding scenarios.

The goal was to focus on the district's highest-priority facility needs while balancing taxpayer impact and long-term stewardship of district facilities.

The proposed amount reflects the Board's effort to address documented needs without attempting to solve every facility challenge at once.

The referendum includes:

• Safety and security improvements
• Accessibility improvements
• Building infrastructure and deferred maintenance
• Mechanical and electrical system upgrades
• Fire alarm upgrades
• Classroom improvements and renovations
• Building exterior repairs
• Pool improvements and renovations

The focus is on maintaining and improving existing facilities.

No.

The referendum focuses on improving and maintaining existing district facilities. It does not involve building new schools.

District studies found that existing facilities have sufficient capacity to serve projected enrollment.

The Board determined that maintaining and improving current facilities is the most responsible use of taxpayer resources.

There are two primary types of referendum funding school districts can utilize. Operating Levies and Facility Bonds. In simple terms, levies are for learning, bonds are for building.

A facility bond is used to pay for major building projects. Much like a home mortgage, a bond is typically financed over an extended period, often 20 years. Bond funds can only be used for the projects approved by voters, such as school construction, renovations, safety and security improvements, or major infrastructure repairs. Bond funds cannot be used for salaries or daily operating expenses.

An operating levy helps fund the programs and services that support day-to-day school operations, including staffing, educational programming, technology, transportation, utilities, curriculum, and other ongoing educational expenses.

The identified facility needs exist today.

Building systems continue to age, construction costs continue to rise, and deferred maintenance becomes more expensive over time. Addressing needs through a planned approach allows the district to prioritize projects and manage costs rather than responding to emergencies.

Waiting does not eliminate facility needs.

Delays generally result in:

• Higher construction costs
• More deferred maintenance
• Greater risk of system failures
• Less work completed for the same investment

Waiting may postpone spending, but it typically increases the cost of addressing the same needs later.

The School Board recognizes that many families/caregivers, homeowners, farmers, and businesses are carefully managing their budgets.

The Board also has a responsibility to maintain public facilities and address documented facility needs. The referendum is not about expansion or new programs. It is focused on maintaining existing facilities, improving safety and accessibility, and protecting community assets already owned by taxpayers.

Ultimately, voters decide whether the proposed investment is appropriate at this time.

Austin Public Schools has continued investing in facilities through available maintenance, capital, and project funding sources.

Recent investments have included playground improvements, LED lighting upgrades, classroom improvements, flooring and painting projects, parking lot repairs, athletic facility improvements, auditorium renovations, and numerous maintenance projects across the district.

The referendum focuses on larger infrastructure and facility needs that exceed available annual maintenance resources.

The School Board has already approved significant facility investments using existing resources.

Through capital improvement bonds, assigned fund balance, and the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) project, the district is planning nearly $21 million in facility improvements scheduled to begin in Summer 2027.

These projects will address important building needs across the district and demonstrate the Board's commitment to utilizing available funding sources before asking voters to consider additional investment.

Even after those projects are completed, additional identified facility needs remain.

Yes.

Students and staff attend safe schools every day.

The referendum focuses on maintaining and improving safety over time by addressing aging systems, entrances, doors, hardware, fire alarms, and other facility needs before they become larger problems.

Potential improvements include:

• Secure entrances
• Door and hardware replacements
• Fire alarm upgrades
• Building access improvements
• Security enhancements
• Life-safety improvements

The plan includes improvements to:

• Restrooms
• Entrances
• Doors/Door Hardware
• Walkways
• Instructional spaces
• Elevation change accessibility (railings, guardrails, elevator)

The goal is to improve access for students, staff, visitors, and community members.

The School Board determined that the Ellis Middle School pool is part of the district's overall facility infrastructure and should be evaluated alongside other district facility needs.

First and foremost, the pool is a classroom. The pool serves students through physical education and activities while also supporting community use. The proposed work focuses on maintaining the facility, replacing aging infrastructure, and preserving long-term functionality.

The Board concluded that the pool's infrastructure needs are similar to other building needs being addressed throughout the district and should be included within the overall facility plan.

The pool project being discussed in 2026 is different from the project considered in 2025.

Since the previous referendum, Austin Public Schools has secured funding through an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) project that includes significant work at Ellis Middle School. Portions of locker room improvements, ventilation upgrades, and related facility work that were previously associated with the pool project are now being addressed through that separate funding source.

Because those improvements are being completed through the IAQ project, they no longer need to be funded through the referendum.

As a result, the proposed pool scope focuses on the remaining pool-specific infrastructure needs, repairs, equipment replacement, and improvements necessary to support the long-term operation of the facility.

This approach allows the district to leverage multiple funding sources, avoid duplication of work, and reduce the amount of referendum funding needed for pool-related improvements.

The Board determined that the pool is one component of the district's overall facility infrastructure.

Its needs involve building systems, equipment, maintenance, and long-term facility stewardship, similar to needs being addressed elsewhere in the district. The Board concluded these needs should be considered together as part of one facility plan.

The scope of the 2026 pool project reflects both continued facility planning and the availability of other funding sources.

Since 2025, portions of the work previously associated with the pool area are being addressed through the district's Indoor Air Quality project. Because those improvements are being completed separately, they do not need to be funded through the referendum.

The result is a more focused pool project that addresses the remaining infrastructure and facility needs while avoiding duplication of costs.

The reduction is not the result of eliminating necessary work. It is the result of completing some work through another approved funding source and refining the project based on updated planning.

No.

The referendum includes improvements and renovations to the existing facility.

Yes.

The proposed work addresses aging infrastructure and long-term reliability rather than an immediate safety concern.

Voters considered a different proposal in 2025.

The Board reviewed community feedback, reassessed priorities, and determined that pool infrastructure remains part of the district's overall facility responsibilities.

The 2026 referendum reflects the Board's updated recommendation. Voters ultimately decide whether that recommendation should move forward.

Austin Public Schools has already taken significant steps to address facility needs using available resources.

The School Board has approved capital improvement bonds, is utilizing assigned fund balance, and is moving forward with an Indoor Air Quality project. Together, these investments represent nearly $21 million in facility improvements scheduled to begin in Summer 2027.

These projects will address important facility needs across the district.

However, even after those investments are completed, additional facility needs remain. The proposed referendum focuses on needs that are not fully addressed through those existing funding sources.

Another important consideration is timing. If voters approve a referendum in November 2026, planning, design, state review, bidding, and construction would mean that most referendum-funded work would not begin until 2028 or 2029.

The district's current projects and any future referendum projects are not competing investments. They are sequential phases of a longer-term facility improvement strategy.

Austin Public Schools actively pursues grants and alternative funding sources whenever possible.

In fact, portions of facility improvements are already being addressed through other funding mechanisms, including the Indoor Air Quality project.

However, grants and state funding opportunities are typically limited in scope and do not provide enough funding to address large-scale facility infrastructure needs across multiple district buildings.

Under Minnesota law, voter-approved bonds remain the primary funding mechanism for major facility improvements.

Waiting does not eliminate facility needs.

Building systems continue to age, construction costs continue to rise, and deferred maintenance becomes more expensive over time.

Waiting can result in:

• Higher project costs
• More emergency repairs
• Greater deferred maintenance
• Reduced purchasing power
• Longer delays before improvements reach students and staff

In practical terms, waiting often means paying more later for the same work.

Bond funds may only be used for voter-approved building projects and related construction costs.

They cannot be redirected to salaries, daily operations, or unrelated programs.

The district must comply with:

• Minnesota public bidding laws
• Financial audits
• State reporting requirements
• Construction oversight procedures

Project expenditures are publicly reviewed and monitored throughout the process.

Not without affecting educational programs and services.

Operating funds support teaching, learning, transportation, staffing, and daily operations. Major facility projects typically require capital funding.

The facility needs remain.

The district would continue maintaining facilities using available resources, but many larger projects would likely be delayed, phased over a longer period, or addressed only as funding becomes available.

Yes.

Students will continue learning and schools will continue operating.

The question is not whether schools can operate. The question is how and when identified facility needs will be addressed.

The fundamental question is whether to address documented facility needs now through a planned investment or continue addressing them over time as resources allow.

The needs have been identified. The Board has recommended a path forward. Voters decide whether that plan should move ahead.