Kingsland Public Schools will ask two voting questions on building improvements

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (KTTC) – Kingsland Public Schools, serving Spring Valley, Wyckoff and surrounding communities, is asking voters two questions on Tuesday’s ballot. If both bills pass, the building bond referendums would result in improved school maintenance as well as the creation of a new facility to meet physical education and public education needs.

“Our needs for physical facilities remain and their urgency has only increased,” the school district’s referendum website states. “Our school needs improved, dedicated facilities to meet today’s educational needs.”

The first item calls for $8.9 million to meet school building maintenance needs, according to Kingsland Public Schools. The money will go toward replacing the existing roof, which Superintendent Scott Clawetter said was damaged in a hurricane three years ago.

“Our current roofs have really just begun to reach their life expectancy,” he said. “The roof of the gym was replaced two years ago. Everything else needs replacing. We have places that are actively leaking and other places that have recently been fixed.”

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. This will improve existing curbs, sidewalks and paved areas of parking lots.

The second question, asking for $11.5 million, proposes adding a new gymnasium space to support physical education classes during the school day, as well as another classroom space that could be used for public education or other purposes. Because the school’s current gym is used as a cafeteria during the day, Clavetter said students don’t have enough space for recess, especially if the weather is inclement.

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

The referendum will also lead to the creation of new and improved ADA compliant locker rooms. “The locker rooms we currently use at our high school are original to the 1957 building and not much has changed since then,” Klawetter added.

According to two Spring Valley business owners, the two ballot questions are easy to answer once the school’s needs are taken into account.

“I’m thinking about what we need to do to support our local youth and our school district,” Steve Atwood said. “For the small amount it will cost per family, I think this is a good move for our school.”

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

It is important to note that for the second question to pass, the first question must be approved by voters. If both referendums pass, a $200,000 residential home in the district would pay approximately $8.78 per month starting next year. For a farmer with a homestead, the tax impact is less than 10 cents per acre per month.

If two questions are approved, the referendums will last 25 years, but if only the first question is approved, they will last 15 years. For more information on both referendums, visit the Kingsland bond website.

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