Minnewaska Taxpayers
The Numbers Didn't Change, But the Plan Sure Did
In the spring of 2025, Minnewaska Area Schools sent out a community survey asking residents what types of projects they would support — and at what price point.
At that time, the district floated a “base plan” totaling $25 million.
The survey included that $25 million plan plus a few “add-on” options — things like a daycare center, a gym, and other extras — just to test how far the community might be willing to go.
The message was clear:
This is what we can do for $25 million.
But when the official Review and Comment was submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education just a few weeks later, that same $25 million suddenly covered a different set of projects.
Same Price Tag, New Priorities
In the survey version of the plan, the $25 million “base package” included:
At Both Schools
- Secure entrances
- Updated classroom door locks
- HVAC improvements
- Media center remodels
At the High School
- Resurfacing & reconfiguration of the parking lot
- Renovating & expanding Career and Technical Education (“Shop”) spaces
- Bathroom renovations to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations
- Replacement of the auditorium seating
By the time the Review and Comment was filed with the state, the door locks were gone, one of the media centers had disappeared, and new projects had quietly taken their place — including a fitness center, multi-purpose gym, daycare center, and pool equipment.
The total? Still $25 million.
So even though the price tag didn’t change, the priorities did.
Why That Matters
When voters hear the same number repeated — “$25 million” — it’s easy to assume they’re voting on the same plan the district presented months ago.
But that’s not the case here.
What started as a package focused on safety and maintenance quietly shifted toward amenities and new construction, and unless you’ve compared the documents side by side (which most people haven’t had the time or patience to do), you’d never know.
The Bait-and-Switch
It’s what I call the referendum bait-and-switch.
The survey helped the district figure out what dollar amount the community would tolerate. Once they had that number, they built a different plan to fit it — one with less emphasis on safety and maintenance and more on new facilities.
And here’s the kicker: they didn’t lower the cost when they removed projects. They just replaced them with new ones.
That’s like donating money to fix the playground and finding out it was spent on a new scoreboard instead — the total’s the same, but the priorities sure aren’t.
What You Deserve
This isn’t about being anti-school or anti-progress — it’s about being pro-transparency.
If the district truly believes the community supports these new projects, they should have no problem presenting them honestly and letting voters decide based on the actual plan, not the old talking points.
We were told $25 million would go toward safety and building improvements. Now over one-third of the budget ($9.7 Million) is going towards a daycare and gym space.
Those aren’t the same priorities — and the district shouldn’t pretend they are.
So before you vote, ask yourself:
If the plan already changed before they got your approval, what’s to stop it from changing again after they get your money?
