FAQs

Since 2022, the district has taken several important steps to plan for the future, starting with a long-term strategic plan. That same year, voters approved an operating levy to stabilize the budget and protect programming and electives. The district also began a facilities planning process, including a building assessment in 2023, and a 2024 pool study at Ellis Middle School—all revealing the need for major repairs. In 2025, after gathering input from the community and staff, the Austin Public School Board voted to propose a $66.7 million bond referendum to voters to address building improvements. Learn more on the Process Page.

Safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments help every student grow and succeed. A bond referendum allows our district to fund improvements to accessibility, safety, and learning areas without taking money away from student programming and education. These investments will create safer, more secure, and more functional school buildings that support high-quality education for years to come.

If Question One fails, the district would rely on Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) funding to address building needs. However, LTFM funding is limited by law, falling short of what’s needed to complete major building improvements across all schools.

• Delaying improvements could lead to multiple system failures at once, increasing costs and disruption. These systems don’t often fail one at a time, and multiple things could break down at once. We’re doing our best to stay ahead of these issues and prioritize the most urgent needs. 

• While our schools remain open, and teaching and learning will continue, aging facilities will increasingly challenge the district’s ability to provide safe, reliable and effective learning spaces for students and staff. 

If Question Two fails… The Ellis Middle School pool is aging and costly to maintain. Without funding to repair or replace it, this valuable resource could be lost for good.

• Closing the pool would affect middle schoolers who use it during physical education to learn a vital life skill: swimming. In Minnesota, where water safety is part of growing up, that loss would matter.

• The pool is also used by our successful swim and dive team, made up of both middle and high school students. The local YMCA pool falls short − it lacks a diving well and is one lane short for hosting meets − making it unclear whether the team could continue without repairs to the school’s pool.

A study showed that investing in our current buildings would cost much less than building new ones. Additionally, a capacity study found that our current buildings have enough room for students now and into the future. The Austin School Board reviewed the costs and capacity study and agreed that it makes more sense to renovate the buildings rather than replace them.

• Our long-term strategic plan has guided us to this point. Through careful planning, community feedback, and expert assessments, the school board has determined that now is the best time to invest in our buildings to prepare them for the future while maximizing value for taxpayers. 

• Waiting to address these needs could lead to costly emergency repairs. Delaying won’t change the need to invest in our facilities – but the cost to local taxpayers will likely increase due to inflation.

Our school buildings require ongoing maintenance. Our Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) revenue has funded recent updates like new paint and LED lighting. However, LTFM funds are limited and cannot cover large-scale projects such as replacing outdated mechanical systems, upgrading electrical infrastructure, or addressing major safety and accessibility issues. These are expensive needs that go beyond the scope of our annual maintenance budget. Voter-approved funding allows the district to make big, critical investments that our schools need to remain safe, efficient, and supportive of student learning for years to come.