Frequently Asked Questions

  • Over the past year, we have worked through a long-range planning process to further understand, identify, and prioritize our facility and educational space needs. Working collaboratively alongside our Operations Committee, our school board has been aligned since the start to responsibly address our most critical needs in a way that also aligns with feedback received many years ago.

    Our long-range planning process included a facility assessment, educational adequacy assessment, space utilization study, utility analysis, a financial analysis, and more. 

    After all facility needs were prioritized and discussed, they were presented to the school board by the Facilities Committee for further consideration. On Tuesday, June 10, the school board approved submitting a Review and Comment to the MDE, the formal documentation required for building bond referendums. On Tuesday, July 22, the school board unanimously approved a resolution to present a single-question ballot to residents on Tuesday, November 4. Learn more by visiting our Process Page.

  • Yes. The district submitted a Review and Comment document to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), a required step for building bond referenda. The MDE carefully reviews project plans, financial data, and facility assessments to ensure the proposal addresses real needs and is fiscally responsible. The MDE issued a Positive Review and Comment, confirming the district’s proposed improvements are reasonable and necessary.

  • A building bond referendum raises funds for long-term facility improvements like new construction, major renovations, or deferred maintenance projects. 

    An operating levy raises funds for day-to-day expenses, like staff salaries, utilities, classroom supplies, and educational programming. Bond referendum funds cannot legally be used for operational costs. The district is proposing a building bond referendum on Tuesday, November 4.

  • We are grateful for our communities’ support over the last two decades, including a two-story PK-2 addition at Five Lakes Elementary School approved by residents in May 2010, and an addition to our junior/senior high school to provide additional space and programming for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and vocational programs approved by residents in February 2021. 

    Along with our Operations Committee, our school board feels confident the proposed plan best positions our district, facilities, students, staff, and our communities for the future. At Fairmont Area Schools, we seek to partner with our community to serve, lead, and inspire every student.

Questions About The Process

Questions About Our Challenges

  • We are proud to provide small class sizes, and various extracurricular activities and clubs that challenge and engage our students. However, our buildings require critical physical facility improvements to continue serving our students and staff well, and our junior/senior high school needs additional, improved, and reconfigured space to support our students and staff well. Learn more by visiting our Challenges Page.

  • We’ve maintained our facilities over the years, but limited state dollars and aging buildings continue to put pressure on how we are able to do that. Our elementary school was originally built in 1954, and we must replace the elevator to ensure functionality, safety, and compliance, replace exterior doors, skylight seals, window caulking, and metal panels to ensure building integrity and efficiency, install new vinyl tile in our classrooms, support spaces, and corridors, and more. 

    At our junior/senior high school, many classrooms have no windows, which negatively impacts the student and staff experience. In addition, various building areas and fixtures have exceeded their useful life and require improvements or replacements, including the lockers, finishes, and fixtures in our locker rooms, the flooring in both auxiliary gymnasiums, corridor flooring in various areas, and the caulking and sealants around the exit doors and windows. We need to provide additional single-stall showers in our locker rooms and the wastewater pipe under the first floor corridor of the vocational wing and on the west side of the performing arts center are failing and need to be replaced.

  • Our band, choir, orchestra, and theater programs are thriving. However, this growth means we don’t have adequate academic and support space to meet these programs’ needs. Our band and choir programs are currently confined to the basement, and our orchestra program practices in our performing arts center. Due to limited space, our band program does not currently practice together until the day of the performance, and orchestra students carry their large instruments on a daily basis. In addition, there are no bathrooms in the basement. 

    Safety and security is paramount in any school district. Although our junior/senior high school is safe for students and staff, the current configuration limits our ability to vet visitors face-to-face. Today, visitors coming to our building are granted access to our building by using a digital audio-visual system and a remotely-operated door lock. However, visitors currently have access to the building before actually entering our front office, and that must be improved to ensure safety and security for everyone in our building. In addition, without a breezeway between our main building and CTE addition, students are exposed to inclement weather.

  • Yes. Over the last several years, our district and facility staff have done a great job keeping our facility maintained, and have been able to make improvements as dollars allow. However, several facility and programmatic needs extend beyond our annual maintenance budgets allocated from the State of Minnesota. 

    Asking for voter-approved dollars is common across the state, more than 75% of Minnesota school districts have leveraged bond referendums to improve the conditions of their facilities. Our school’s physical facility and educational needs will continue to worsen the longer we wait to address them.

  • Enrollment has grown steadily since the 2019-2020 school year. Although we are projected to see a modest decline in enrollment, providing adequate and appropriate space for students and staff now will best position our district to educate students well for many years to come.

  • Yes. In the last 10 years, voters in 225 Minnesota school districts have approved building bond referenda to finance construction projects to address aging facilities, expand programming, and improve safety.

  • On or before Tuesday, November 4, residents will decide whether to invest $21.7 million for critical facility and educational improvements at both schools by casting their vote. The proposed plan includes building a fine arts learning center addition, a new secured entrance and office area, adding windows to several classrooms, replacing underfloor sewer pipe, and other improvements at our junior/senior high school. 

    The plan also includes replacing the original 1954 elevator and making additional exterior and interior improvements, such as tuckpointing and door replacements at our elementary school. 

    There is one question on the ballot. Learn more by visiting our Plan Page.

  • If approved by voters, the proposed improvements will improve the physical integrity, safety, and security of our buildings, renew our educational spaces and provide adequate space for our students and staff, and provide classrooms and an educational experience that sets students up for success, regardless of the path they take.

  • Over the past year, we have worked through a long-range planning process to further understand, identify, and prioritize our needs. Working alongside our Operations Committee, our school board has been aligned since the start to responsibly address our most critical needs in a way that also aligns with feedback received many years ago. 

    If the referendum fails, the district will continue to work to address our needs, including seeking appropriate funding to address them. What we know is that our facility and educational needs won’t go away, and will likely worsen the longer we wait to address them, along with increased costs. The non-voter approved improvements listed above will move forward regardless of the outcome of the building bond referendum. The district won’t be able to take advantage of the economies of scale and other efficiencies that are gained with both projects happening simultaneously.

  • Yes. On Tuesday, July 22, the school board used its authority to authorize levying funding to address critical physical infrastructure needs in both schools. Approximately $17.8 million will be used to make critical improvements to the mechanical and HVAC systems in select areas at both our elementary and junior/senior high schools, address critical roofing needs in select locations of both buildings, install a fire sprinkler system at our junior/senior high school, and replace select roof sections that need replacement. These improvements are not included in the proposed voter-approved building bond referendum. However, they would be implemented at the same time if voters approve the proposed building bond referendum, resulting in schedule and cost efficiencies. 

    Given the importance of these improvements to the overall integrity, safety, and indoor air quality of our buildings, the board decided to use its limited levy authority to proceed with these improvements rather than include them as part of the building bond referendum.

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

  • Strong schools attract families, businesses and industries, which can stimulate economic growth in a community and create job opportunities. Schools often serve as a hub for community education and events, fostering a sense of belonging among residents. 

    New investments, or a lack of them, in schools and their facilities can significantly influence these impacts of schools within our communities.

  • We can. However, if we delay, it won’t change the need to invest in deferred maintenance, space, and equipment, but the cost to local taxpayers will likely increase due to construction inflation and added interest costs. Facility needs, such as the wastewater pipe replacements in our junior/senior high school, have a limited lifespan and need to be addressed as quickly as possible.

  • State law requires school districts to present one facility plan per ballot question. The district explored alternatives but determined this single-question bond best meets current needs while respecting taxpayer resources.

  • Yes. A draft design of the plan has been developed, but school districts do not typically invest in developing detailed design plans unless voters approve the plan and authorize funding. Conceptual drawings can be viewed on our Plan Page.

Questions About The Plan

  • The proposed referendum asks residents to consider a $21.7 million investment into our schools, which includes all issuing and financing costs. If approved by voters, this investment would be supported by a property tax increase that would take effect in 2026 and expire after 2046 or when the bonds for the project have been paid, whichever happens sooner. Learn more by visiting our Cost Page.

  • Your individual tax impact will depend on the value of the property you own. For a $200,000 residential home in the district, the estimated tax impact is approximately $7 per month starting in 2026. For an agricultural homestead with an estimated market value of $10,000 per acre, the estimated tax impact would be $0.06 per acre per month ($0.75 per acre per year) starting in 2026. You can calculate your estimated tax impact using our tax calculator here.

  • The State of Minnesota’s Ag2School Tax Credit is a 70% tax credit provided to all agricultural property except the house, garage, and one acre surrounding the agricultural homestead for building bond referendums. This is not a tax deduction – it’s a dollar-for-dollar credit and is an automatic tax credit paid directly by the state with no application required. This credit would remain at 70% for the life of the bond.

    The State of Minnesota’s Ag2School Tax Credit reduces the contribution percentage for agricultural landowners to 30%. If approved, approximately 26% of the total bond referendum’s principal and interest will be covered by the state’s 70% tax credit.

  • 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. If approved, all revenue from the tax increase will go directly to the proposed projects. Our district cannot spend more than the amount stated on the ballot or use the funds for additional projects not included in the referendum plan.

  • While it’s true that local businesses would share in the cost of the referendum through property taxes, strong, modern schools play a direct role in strengthening the local economy.

    Quality school facilities help attract and retain families and employees, which increases the customer base for local businesses and keeps our communities vibrant. Updated spaces and expanded programs, especially in Career and Technical Education (CTE), help prepare students with skills that align with the needs of local employers, building a stronger future workforce right here in our community.

    Modern, accessible school facilities also support community events, youth sports, wellness programs, and adult education, bringing more people into town and creating ripple effects that benefit restaurants, shops, and service providers.

    In this way, investing in school improvements is also an investment in the long-term health, growth, and competitiveness of our local businesses and the community as a whole.

Questions About The Cost

Questions About Design/Construction

  • If approved on Tuesday, November 4, the design and pre-construction phase of the project would take place from November 2025 to spring 2026. The project bid and award phase is currently planned to take place in late spring 2026, and construction would take place from summer 2026 to summer 2028.  Please note that this schedule may change due to design elements, material delays, or unforeseen lead times.

  • If the referendum passes, the district will begin the design process, led by ISG and ICS. 

    Community input is important during this process, and we will involve staff, administrators, community members, and students who will work collaboratively with the selected architect throughout the design process. Input would be asked for and encouraged to ensure the design of the renovated facilities best represents the students, staff, and community who will use it.

  • If the referendum is approved, the district will work closely with the project team, teachers, and staff to carefully plan construction in phases that minimize disruptions to learning and daily routines.

    Construction activities would typically be scheduled to take place during summer months whenever possible. For work that must happen during the school year, crews would coordinate closely with school leadership to keep construction areas safely separated from student spaces with secure barriers and signage.

    The district’s top priority throughout the project would be maintaining a safe, healthy, and productive environment for students and staff. Clear communication with families, staff, and the community will help everyone know what to expect as work progresses.

    Thanks to thoughtful planning and phased construction, students would continue learning in their usual classrooms while gaining the excitement of seeing new, modern spaces take shape around them.

  • Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Early voting will begin on Friday, September 19, 2025, and be available through Monday, November 3, 2025. Learn more on our Vote Page.

  • Yes. Early/absentee voting will begin on Friday, September 19, 2025, and be available through Monday, November 3, 2025 either in person or by mail.

    Available starting Friday, September 19, through Monday, November 3, residents may vote early/absentee in person at the Martin County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office, located at 201 Lake Avenue, Suite 201, Fairmont, MN 56031, on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Extended early/absentee voting hours are available on Saturday, November 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You will need to complete an absentee ballot application and an absentee ballot, which you can do in person or take home to complete. 

    Alternatively residents can vote early/absentee by mail starting Friday, September 19, through Monday, November 3. Complete an absentee ballot application and send it to tthe Martin County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office, located at 201 Lake Avenue, Suite 201, Fairmont, MN 56031. Absentee ballot applications can also be emailed to elections@co.martin.mn.us. Once they receive your application, an absentee ballot will be mailed to you to complete.

    Completed absentee ballots must be returned to the Martin County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day — Tuesday, November 4.

  • Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. All residents will vote at the Knights of Columbus Hall, located at 920 East 10th Street, Fairmont, MN 56031.

  • Yes, the sample ballot can be viewed here.

Questions About Voting

  • Yes. Our district is committed to ensuring our residents are provided accurate, transparent, and timely information about our upcoming building bond referendum. 

    Additional resources are available on our Resources Page, including our Fast Facts Flier, our Review and Comment, our School Board Resolution, and more.

  • Residents can explore this website to learn more about the referendum. Please use our Connect Page to reach out to the district with questions or feedback.

Additional Questions