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H-LP School Bd. Decides On Facility Option; Sets Date For Bond Referendum

April 18, 2023 Steve Schwaller

(Lake Park)– Voters in the Harris-Lake Park Community School District will head to the polls September 12th of this year to vote on a bond issue to build an addition onto the Middle School-High School, making it a preK-12 facility. The School Board Monday evening voted unanimously in favor of that option, which has a price tag of nearly $17.1 million. The $4.05 per $1,000 of valuation bond issue, if approved by 60 percent of those who vote in the September election, would generate $18 million, which is the district’s bonding capacity. The additional funds would go toward the construction of a bus barn.

School board member Ebony Rahe made the motion to proceed with the option for the addition of the elementary school onto the existing middle school-high school facility…

“I think it’s long term, I think it’s the best for our community, it’s best for our kids, it’s best for our teachers, and financially it just makes the most sense. I don’t know why we would want to put a bandaid on the elementary and in 10 years maybe spend more money there, so. I think it’s the right thing to do and hopefully the voters agree in September when it goes to a vote.”

The majority of people who responded to an informal straw poll during recent public informational meetings were in favor of the option the board approved Monday evening.

Superintendent Les Douma says the next step is to sell the issue to the community between now and September…

“We have to organize and have our community members get out and we have to tell them now, now we’re talking about one option: $4.05 levy with a new building. We have to show them the renderings, what it’s going to look like. We have to inform them. We want to inform anybody and everybody about this issue, this building project, and how important it’s going to be for our district and how important it’s going to be for our kids. That takes some work. We have to get out there because the important thing is on September 12th we want people out there voting and to vote for it. I mean I’m supporting it and I’m supporting it hard now. I would have supported any one of the options equally as hard, but now we know what direction we’re going so we have to, if you will, organize the community, get people to vote and get people behind this issue.”

The board also Monday evening approved a $24,500 agreement with FEH to help in the promotion of the bond issue. The firm will also produce renderings to assist in that process.

Lake Park Mayor Matt Carstensen was among those who spoke at Monday’s meeting. He says the city council feels the existing elementary school building would still have some purpose in the community. Carstensen says a senior housing project is among the possible ideas being tossed around.

You can see results of the straw poll vote by clicking here.

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