$171 Million Building Plan on Rochester School Board Agenda

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester School Board could vote tonight on setting the date and question for a school bond issue referendum this fall.

The public school system has been studying the possibility of seeking voter approval for the construction of a number of new schools for months and the recommendation to the school board calls putting a two-part question on the ballot for a vote in November. The first question would request authorization to finance the construction of a new elementary school, the reconstruction of two existing elementary schools, building a new middle school, along with district-wide security upgrades and upgrades to the auditoriums at the school district’s three high schools at a cost of $171.4 million. The second question would request an additional $9.5 million for the construction of a swimming pool at Century High School and renovating the existing pools at John Marshall and Mayo High Schools.

An online calculator is available on the school district’s website to determine the impact of the proposals on the property tax for individual properties. For a homeowner with a house valued at $200,000, the main proposal would increase property taxes by just under $90 a year and approval of the second question would add $7 to the annual total.

The recommendation to the school board calls for the vote to take place on November 5th.