Frequently Asked Questions

The scope of the referendum is to replace the 1925 portion of the High School/Middle School in Garwin with a new 22,000 square foot addition.

The total cost of the referendum is $12,300,000.  It would be paid for by issuing General Obligation bonds that would be repaid over 20 years.  The final tax impact is estimated to be $2.97 per $1,000 of TAXABLE value after the rollback and homestead credits are applied.  

A facility assessment of the 1925 building rated the plumbing, electrical, mechanical and security as all in poor condition. The cost of updating the 1925 portion is simply cost-prohibitive when compared to building new to replace the exact same square footage.    

The bond proposal is only to replace the 1925 portion of the building, not the entire Middle School/High School. In Iowa, the State Legislature sets the borrowing limit for each district.  We simply do not have enough borrowing capacity to replace the entire Middle School/High School square footage with a new structure in Green Mountain.

If the bond referendum is not supported, the conversations and planning regarding the district’s future will need to shift from the known (of having a financially solvent district with up-to-date, efficient facilities) to the unknown (of potentially not having a Middle School/High School in Garwin to potentially dissolving and merging with another district.)

The 1925 building is approximately 15,900 square feet.

The main reason for the increased square footage is the need to have a hallway on both floors to connect to the existing building. A hallway along the gym is also needed to allow for safe exiting from that space.   

The last General Obligation bond payment for the 2008 building will be paid in 2025. 

The cost of the demolition of the 1925 building cannot legally be paid for by General Obligation bond funds. This cost will be paid for by the district’s SAVE funds. 

YES, the district is and will be financially solvent into the future as a result of district-wide budget reductions made last year.  The budget reductions made last year will result in a $450,000 per year positive impact on the district’s operational fund. 

The School District receives money each year from the Federal and State governments, as well as local taxpayers. The Federal and State money mainly pays for everyday things like teachers' salaries, educational programs, and school supplies. But when it comes to fixing or upgrading our facilities, that's mostly up to our local communities. If there are big costs for building projects, the district needs to ask voters to approve a referendum so they can borrow money to pay for them.

The district will continue to provide updates through official communications, public meetings, and the district’s website and social media. We encourage all community members to stay engaged and ask questions.