(KNSI) – St. Cloud Area School District officials are rallying support before heading to the polls to vote on a $65 million referendum.
The election is divided into two separate questions, with the first asking for $50 million to renovate Apollo High School. Superintendent Doctor Laurie Putnam told KNSI the school has been left behind for too long. “Once upon a time, Apollo was the brand-new state-of-the-art school, but that was over 50 years ago. So, there are spaces that need to be updated. Any of us who own homes or property understand that we can’t let something sit for 50 years.”
St. Cloud Public School District 742
A couple of years ago, the school district used federal funds to upgrade the HVAC system at Apollo. But the district’s honey-do list is much longer, with the need for safety improvements such as secure entrances, a storm shelter that would act as a fourth gym, and fire and safety upgrades. The education improvements would include new science labs, classrooms, and spaces for performing and fine arts.
In question two, the district is asking for $15 million for an indoor multipurpose athletic facility for year-round activities. The building would include a full-size turf field and a walking track.
Putnam broke down the cost for homeowners. “We’ve reduced the price as much as we can. We don’t take it lightly. We know that the total cost for the average price home right in this area, is $250,000. That’s $3.33 a month.” She believes school leaders have been good stewards of the public’s money and are only asking for what they need. “And you know, we’re really proud to have the lowest school tax impact of any of our surrounding communities. I think it speaks to our commitment to only asking for what we need and living within our means. But there is no way to live within our means for the kind of construction that’s needed.”
Question one must pass in order for question two to be approved. Putnam explained that if the referendum fails, they will need to ask again. “We would definitely come back. I believe that the code is changing, even in terms of school safety. So we aren’t able to meet that code without the secure entrance, and we know that the facilities just aren’t able to keep up with the needs.”
The school board has been discussing improvements at Apollo for nearly a decade. In 2015, the community rejected spending $160 million to build a new high school and renovate Apollo. In 2016, the voters gave a thumbs up to using $104 million to rebuild Tech High School but gave a thumbs down to authorizing $37.5 million to make improvements at Apollo. The school board was preparing for another facilities referendum in February 2020, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, halting plans.
Ballots will be at the polling places on April 8th, with early voting already underway.
The school board is offering tours of Apollo so people can see firsthand what improvements they want to make. The last one is Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at the high school.
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