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If you received our yellow flyer in the mail, you already know the basics — but let’s dig a little deeper.

The district is asking voters to approve a $25 million bond that will keep property taxes high for the next 21 years.

What they’re not saying is that the 2015 bond will be paid off in 2028, which means if this referendum fails, your property taxes will go down significantly. 

And while they’re calling this a “$25 million bond,” the real cost with interest is closer to $42.9 million — money that will come directly from local taxpayers.

This referendum isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about reshuffling priorities and slipping in new projects that were never part of the original plan.

How Taxes Will Go Down

When the 2015 referendum was passed, the district took on long-term debt that’s nearly paid off. Once it’s finished in 2028, that payment drops off your property tax bill.

If this new bond passes, however, that “wrap-around” structure keeps you in payment mode instead of allowing that tax relief to take effect.
So instead of a natural tax decrease in 2028, you’ll continue paying at roughly the same level for the next two decades.

No new referendum = lower taxes.
New referendum = 21 more years of payments.

If you want a closer look at how this “wrap-around” structure actually works — and what the district isn’t telling you about it — check out our full breakdown here:
Property Taxes Explained: What the District Isn’t Telling You

The Real Cost: $42.9 Million

The district keeps emphasizing the $25 million number, but bonds don’t come free.
Over 21 years, taxpayers will pay $17.9 million in interest — bringing the total cost to $42.9 million.

That’s nearly $18 million in interest that doesn’t build classrooms, repair HVAC, or improve safety — it just goes to the lenders.

What They’re Selling — and What’s Really Going On

Here’s what the district is pitching to sell the $25 million bond — and what the documents and meeting transcripts actually say.

What They're Selling: Multi-Use Activities Facility

The Facts:
A brand-new gym with an estimated $9 million price tag was not part of the original base plan the community reviewed. When residents were surveyed in spring 2025, only 31% listed a new gym as a high priority.

Now that same gym represents over one-third (36%) of the total project cost.

Why it matters:
A low-priority “add-on” has quietly become the centerpiece of the referendum — while genuine maintenance and safety needs were pushed aside.

What They're Selling: Critical Building Reinvestment

The Facts:
The original plan included HVAC upgrades for both schools, auditorium seating repairs, parking lot resurfacing, and restroom updates for ADA compliance.

The new version funds HVAC work only at the high school — removing the elementary upgrades and restroom projects completely.

When asked at the October 13th Q&A if taxpayers would be asked to fund those “critical” updates later, the district’s answer was yes.

Why it matters:
If maintenance is truly “critical,” it should be funded first — not postponed for the next referendum.

This shift is part of a larger pattern of changing priorities. What started as a plan for safety and maintenance slowly morphed into one centered on new construction.
Read more about how that happened here:
The Numbers Didn’t Change, But the Plan Sure Did

What They’re Selling: Media Center & CTE Renovations

The Facts:
Early drafts showed media center remodels at both schools. Now only the high school is included.
When asked about it, district representatives said the “most extensive work” would be at the high school — implying the elementary remodel was dropped.

Meanwhile, Career and Technical Education (CTE) spaces are slated for renovations — but the district hasn’t confirmed whether any promised local partnerships or business contributions have materialized.

Why it matters:
Voters deserve to know which projects are funded, which were cut, and who’s paying for what.

What They’re Selling: Enhanced Security

The Facts:
The original base plan featured new entrances, upgraded door lock systems, and parking lot reconfiguration for safety.
The latest version still includes the entrances but cuts the door lock upgrades entirely.

Why it matters:
When security was one of the district’s top-listed “needs,” why was it deprioritized?

What They’re Selling: Childcare Addition

The Facts:
The childcare center was not part of the original base plan either. Administration has repeatedly said they don’t want to “be in the business of childcare.”
Yet, this referendum now includes a new daycare partnership — even though the district’s existing Little Lakers program is operating at only 35% capacity and has received multiple correction orders from state inspections.

Why it matters:
If the current daycare is under capacity and struggling, why expand?
This addition benefits a small portion of the community while committing everyone to pay for it for the next 21 years.

You Can Support Students and Teachers and Still Vote No

Saying No doesn’t mean you’re against education — it means you’re for accountability.

It means you believe our kids deserve safe, well-funded classrooms and honest, responsible planning.

Nothing in this plan is urgent or unsafe. The district can — and should — come back with a proposal that prioritizes maintenance, safety, and transparency over new construction.

Vote NO on November 4th.
Demand a plan that puts students first, not shiny new buildings.