Ellsworth school district asks voters to approve $5 million bond referendum

Apr. 22—ELLSWORTH — With steam heat registers still used in the oldest portion of its building, aging boilers and inefficient single-pane windows throughout its 50- and 70-year-old education wings, the Ellsworth Public School is asking voters in its district to approve a $5 million bond referendum next month.

Superintendent Robert Routh said the money will be used to convert the heating system from the existing 70-year-old boilers to forced air furnaces, with each furnace to service two to three classrooms and provide both heating and air conditioning. This will allow for the removal of window air conditioners used to manage temperatures in each classroom.

In addition, new roofs are planned for the school's gymnasium and shop room, with current roofs at the end of their lifecycle, and the school's electrical system, which still operates on fuses and was last updated in the 1970s, will be updated to power the new HVAC system. Tuckpointing will be completed and asbestos will be removed as well.

The Ellsworth school has approximately 130 students in kindergarten through grade 12, and last November opened a daycare in an unused classroom in its elementary wing.

Routh said the district hasn't had a building referendum since the elementary wing was built in the 1970s, and hasn't had any debt service since the 1980s. Its last operating referendum was approved in 2019.

The planned upgrades are critical to the school, which learned early last week that its insurer planned to non-renew the district's insurance policy based on its electrical system, gym roof and shop roof. Routh said they are searching for another provider, and noted that the existing provider is willing to reevaluate if and when the upgrades are made.

"It's a pretty rough environment for small, rural schools," Routh said.

The district is working with APEX Construction, which completed an assessment of the Ellsworth school last fall and presented its findings to the school board last December. In January, the board needed to decide what would be fixed and how much they'd ask voters to approve.

Routh said the original plan was to include a secured entrance to the building, but that would have added another $2.5 million to the project. He said the board opted to complete just what was necessary.

"(The Minnesota Department of Education) and the board approved $5 million so we have to fit under that," he said, noting the $5 million bond would have a 15-year term and start in 2025, if approved by the voters. "The board decided to fix exactly what we need ... and keep the school functioning at a high level. The board made some very tough decisions."

Routh said the board has a $500,000 contingency plan built into its budget for the work and he's hopeful — if voters approve the referendum — that several local businesses will be able to work on the project.

The Ellsworth School District has already hosted the first of three public informational meetings about the bond referendum, and Routh said he was pleased to have approximately 40 people attend the first meeting earlier this month. The second meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and the third is planned for 7 p.m. May 8.

Routh said the meetings provide an opportunity to address any misunderstandings in the community and to explain why the bond is needed. He wants the community to know the school is stable and there is no intention to close.

"Ellsworth has been rumored to close for over 20 years here and we're going to be stable — right around 130 kids for at least the next three years, maybe longer," he said. "I don't see that changing because of our daycare.

"Stability-wise, we're in really good shape to continue. We just need updates to the building," he added.

Routh understands the concern people have about their taxes increasing with the bond referendum, and fully admits that adding to your taxes is a personal decision.

"That's why we're sensitive about it — cutting (the project) to just what we need and a 15-year bond," he said.

The impact for a district resident with a home valued at $100,000 is $54 per year, and $148 per year for a home valued at $200,000. Rural landowners will see their burden lessened with the Ag-2-School tax credit reducing their tax impact on tillable land by 70%.

Routh said agricultural homestead land valued at $12,000 per acre will have a tax increase of $1.56 per acre per year for the life of the bond, while non-homesteaded ag land with the same value will see a tax increase of $3.11 per acre per year.

Information distributed by the district states that the Ag2School tax credit will end up paying for 62% ($3.1 million) of the principal and interest on the bond, with 27% paid through additional taxes on ag land and buildings, and 11% paid by other property types for a total of $1.9 million.

Routh said he remains hopeful that with the Ag2School tax credit, voters will support the bond referendum. He also reiterates that district residents have not had to pay taxes on a school bond since the 1980s.

Lisa Lynn, a second-generation Ellsworth School Board member and mother to four children currently enrolled in the district, strongly supports the bond referendum. She said the school is vital to the community. Her children represent the third generation of her family to attend the school.

"As a board, we recognize the importance of our school and how it has a huge impact on the Ellsworth businesses and community," she said. "In a small town, everything is a trickle effect. A school is what keeps a town alive and we want to see every aspect of Ellsworth to keep thriving."

Lynn said the school is Ellsworth's largest employer with approximately 50 staff and some of the students are the fourth generation in their family to attend the school.

"We have been very fortunate to have gone all these years without needing any large repairs but in time, maintenance and repairs are required for every building structure and we are now seeing that with our school building," she said. "These repairs are critical and necessary and we are hoping the community understands that as well."

By taking care of the critical maintenance, Lynn said the school can continue to serve students and families well into the future.

"As a school, we want to be here and keep operating," she said. "The students, families and staff want to be here and the life of the community needs the school to be here. With fixing these issues, we can make that happen."

Voters in Ellsworth ISD 514 may cast their ballot on election day, May 14, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ellsworth City Hall. Those who wish to vote early or by absentee ballot may do so through May 13 at the Auditor-Treasurer's office in the Nobles County Government Center, 315 10th St., Worthington. Extended absentee voting hours are offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, May 13.