On Tuesday, November 7, 2023, voters rejected the Medford Public Schools referendum questions on the special election ballot.
Following the vote, the unofficial election results are:
Question #1 - 257 YES (41%) and 366 NO (59%)
Question #2 - 232 YES (38%) and 384 NO (62%)
“Despite the results from this election, we remain committed to providing the best possible education for our students, and to finding acceptable long-term solutions that benefit our students, staff, and community,” shared Superintendent Mark Ristau.
Ristau continued, “We thank everyone for their time in learning about the referendum and making a plan to vote.”
The Medford Public School District calls for a special election on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, presenting voters with two questions for facility and learning environment improvements.
QUESTION 1
Shall the school board of Independent School District No. 763 (Medford Public Schools) be authorized to issue its general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $15,915,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction and equipping of a classroom addition; remodeling and addition to the career and technical education (CTE) space; the construction and equipping of a multipurpose room usable for fitness and wrestling; remodeling and upgrades to the weight room; and ventilation upgrades to the school site and facility?
PROJECT SCOPE: QUESTION 1
IMPROVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Addition of seven (7) classrooms which includes a Special Education classroom addition
Collaborative learning commons addition
ENHANCE CAREER PATHWAYS PROGRAMMING
Career and Technical Education (CTE) shop renovation and addition
Career and Technical Education (CTE) classroom renovation
Family and Consumer Science (FACS) and Culinary Arts renovation
IMPROVE ATHLETIC SPACES
Multi-purpose fitness and wrestling room addition
Weight room addition
REVITALIZE FACILITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Replace elementary gym floor
Restroom additions
HVAC replacement in locker room and CTE space
Hallway circulation improvement
Fire alarm panel replacement
Mechanical space addition
Storage space expansion
Staff collaboration room renovation
Q1 CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS AND PLANS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ▼
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 2 IS CONTINGENT ON QUESTION 1
⚠️ IT CAN ONLY PASS IF QUESTION 1 PASSES ⚠️
If School District Question 1 is approved, shall the school board of Independent School District No. 763 (Medford Public Schools) also be authorized to issue its general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $3,940,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction and equipping of a gymnasium addition; and the construction of a parking lot and retaining wall to support the gymnasium addition as required by building code?
PROJECT SCOPE: QUESTION 2
IMPROVE ATHLETIC AND ACTIVITY SPACES
Gymnasium addition
Storage space addition
Q2 CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS AND PLANS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ▼
OPEN HOUSE
INFO NIGHTS
INFO NIGHTS
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Join us for an informational open house! Tour the schools, ask questions regarding the November 7, 2023 Referendum, and more!
A short presentation by Superintendent Mark Ristau will begin at 6:00 pm.
Wednesday, October 11
Medford School Auditorium
750 2nd Avenue SE
Medford, MN
Monday, October 30
Medford School Auditorium
750 2nd Avenue SE
Medford, MN
PROJECT GALLERY
DID YOU KNOW?
A significant portion of the total bond project cost will be paid by the State of Minnesota
In 2024, the State will pay approximately $7,147,800, which is 36% of the total bond (Question 1 and 2) through:
Ag2School Tax Credit (22% of the total cost) and Debt Equalization (14% of the total cost)
The referendum scope directly reflects the input from our community
A Community Facility Advisory Committee, composed of 18 diverse volunteer community members, met six times, investing approximately 14 hours of their time to provide a recommendation to the School Board.
In the Spring of 2023, 353 Medford residents completed a community-wide survey regarding facility planning.
Medford Public Schools has consistently improved our schools without burdening taxpayers for additional money:
We've maintained a stable tax rate over the past 5 years.
We funded projects such as our new front entry and parking lot renovations using our existing budget.
However, the demands of maintaining our facilities and expanding our programs now exceed what our current budget can cover.
Therefore, we need a bond referendum to secure the funding required to take the next crucial step in our school improvements.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
JANUARY 2022 - MARCH 2022
MASTER PLANNING AND REVIEW
Comprehensive Facilities Assessment conducted by SitelogIQ to assess physical, educational, and functional needs.
Internal staff comfort and functional needs surveys completed.
Facility Assessment Review where asset condition assessments and survey data are presented to the school board and District administration.
Solutions and Funding Review including prioritizations, project scenarios, and potential cost budgets to solutions are presented to the school board and District administration.
SEPTEMBER 2022 - NOVEMBER 2022
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Community Engagement process begins and the Community Facility Advisory Committee is formed.
The Community Facility Advisory Committee reviews data from the Assessment Review phase, tours the facilities, learns more about District finances and has an opportunity to provide input, feedback, opinions and vision.
NOVEMBER 2022 - JULY 2023
WORKSHOPPING
Community Facility Advisory Committee reports their findings, from facility tours and meetings, to the School Board.
Community survey is conducted (353 responses / 18%) and report made to the School Board.
School Board begins workshopping potential facility solutions and projects.
AUGUST 2023 - NOVEMBER 2023
PROJECT SELECTION AND ELECTION
Board approves selected scope and passes a resolution committing to move forward with a November 7, 2023 Referendum.
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 - Bond Referendum Vote.