The school board of Independent School District No. 595 (East Grand Forks) has proposed to increase its general education revenue by $300 per pupil. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be applicable for ten years beginning with taxes payable in 2027 and increase each year by the rate of inflation beginning with taxes payable in 2028, unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.

Shall the school board of Independent School District No. 595 (East Grand Forks) also be authorized to issue its general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $26,400,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including safety and security improvements to building entrances, installation of updated fire alarm systems, door access and building communication systems; the construction and installation of HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems; and updating crosswalks and other ADA accessibility improvements?

If School District Question 2 is approved, shall the school board of Independent School District No. 595 (East Grand Forks) also be authorized to issue its general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $10,900,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction and equipping of an early childhood addition to the New Heights Elementary School?

MAY 2025

Initiated independent assessment of the District’s facilities to identify critical needs

AUG 2025

Sought feedback from staff during Staff Input Session

NOV 2025

Sought feedback from staff during Staff Input Session

MAR 2026

Kick-off of community meetings including building tours and discussions to determine what solutions would be supported

APR 2026

Engaged wider community through mailed survey to gauge support and priorities

MAY 2026

Facility Task Force presented facility improvement recommendations to the School Board

JUN 2026

Board approved Review & Comment Bond proposal to Minnesota Department of Education for inclusion on November 3 ballot

• East Grand Forks Public Schools is one of the few districts in the area that does not have a current operating levy.

  The District has been fiscally responsible, but with State aid not keeping pace with inflation it was a matter of time before the District must turn to voters for help.

• CMS, New Heights and Southpoint schools all were new in 1998 and all are aging at the same rate. Infrastructure has reached its end of life.

• District financial resources are limited and needs are great

• Tax payers expect the District maintain facilities that they’ve paid for

Question One requests $600,000 dollars per year for ten years, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year and ending with the 2036-2037 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of operational expenses.

If approved, the District would be able to:

• Maintain reasonable class sizes

• Retain School Resource Officer Position

• Attract and retain quality staff in a highly competitive environment

• Maintain strong academic and extracurricular programs

Question Two requests $26.4 million to address districtwide capital maintenance including secure entry ways throughout as well as critical mechanical and electrical updates.

If approved, the District would be able to:

• Update secure entrances to New Heights, South Point, & Central Middle Schools

• Address heating and air handling infrastructure

• Improve electrical systems

• Retrofit efficient lighting

• Communication upgrades to promote safety (fire alarm, personal address system, and  phone systems)

Question Three requests $10.9 million for an addition to New Heights Elementary School for their growing pre-k program.

If approved, the District would be able to address:

• Preschool addition to New Heights to house all Early Childhood programming at a single site to drive financial efficiency and promote education of our youngest students.

NOTE: Question 3 is contingent on passage of Question 2

If these referendums are not approved, our Board of Education will have to review options to meet these needs, as they cannot be addressed within current annual budgets.

If left unaddressed, the capital maintenance needs will only get worse and lead to costly repairs. Project costs also increase over time, so doing the work sooner rather than later will save our taxpayers money.

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• Election Day is November 3, 2026. Polls are open from
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