(KNSI) — St. Cloud Area School District 742’s Board of Education is mulling over the idea of asking voters for a referendum to renovate Apollo High School.
Superintendent Dr. Laurie Putnam spoke with KNSI News following this week’s school board meeting and explained that “there are significant improvements, whether they’re academic or safety, that need to happen, and those exceed the kind of funds that we have available. Hence the ongoing conversation about a referendum.”
Over the last couple of years, the district replaced Apollo’s HVAC system and upgraded its roof. The board also approved spending $696,399 in federal COVID-19 funding to pay for drainage, concrete excavating and electrical work at the football stadium to prepare the facility for installing artificial turf and resurfacing the track.
She says the first step to making major improvements for the school is putting a plan together. “We got the go-ahead to start to explore some pricing. We know that construction costs have changed since we went out for a referendum last. So, looking at what those old plans would have cost [and] the ways that we have improved Apollo with the funds that we do have.”
They will bring their findings back to the board in the next couple of months so they can make a final decision on going for a referendum.
In 2016, voters rejected a ballot question for $38.75 million to renovate Apollo. In July 2020, the board decided against asking for improvements to the school because of the ongoing pandemic. Apollo High School was built in 1970.
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