In a vote today at West Central Area schools, they turned down an idea to close their elementary buildings and add on to their high school in Barrett by a 1,515 to 479 vote margin. (76% voting no)
WCA currently operates K-4 buildings in Kensington and Elbow Lake, with grades 5-12 attending their newest building in Barrett. Their current operating (excess) levy sits at a little over $1,400 per pupil.
At Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, voters approved spending around $10.7 million for needed upgrades at their K-6 elementary school in Murdock while also adding a gymnasium and other space on the 7-12 high school building in Kerkhoven.
**Update: the K-M-S superintendent reported to me that their new high school gymnasium will be open in the Fall of 2015.
At Benson, voters approved a sharp increase in taxes for an excess levy, raising it from $720 per pupil unit to $1,200.
By a 615 to 241 margin, voters in Sauk Centre approved extending their levy of approximately $1,100 per pupil for another six years.
For comparison, B-B-E's levy sits at around $837 per pupil for a period lasting through 2020.
I have to remind everyone at B-B-E how extremely fortunate we are to have two well-equipped and very modern school buildings in our district. I think many (including myself) often take that for granted and forget the troubles facing other school districts in central Minnesota who have to worry about facility issues.
The big task ahead of us is the same as it has always been: getting more young families to move into the B-B-E school district!!!!