St. Peter schools launch referendum website
St. Peter Public Schools has launched MendTheMiddle.org, a website to provide voters in the district with information on the referendum for improvements at St. Peter Middle School.
Voters will decide on Tuesday, April 9 whether to approve $10.965 million to renovate the science, STEM, and art classrooms, replace worn-out materials in the classrooms, hallways, and common area, repair leaky windows, update bathrooms to meet ADA requirements, and replace a stairwell to improve circulation in the building.
“The building originally opened in 1958 as our district’s high school, so you can imagine there are difficulties that come with teaching modern middle school in a space designed for the 1950’s,” said Superintendent Bill Gronseth. “This is a plan to update the building to ensure it can meet the learning needs of future students and be a place that our community is proud of for years to come.”
If voters approved the singe-ballot question, the improvements would be completed simultaneously with the replacement of the building’s boiler and HVAC system, which the board voted to replace in December 2023. The referendum wouldn’t provide funding for the HVAC project, but the district believes completing both projects at the same time has advantages.
The website includes a tax calculator that allows district residents to calculate their impact based on their parcel ID or estimated property value. If the referendum passes, owners of a $225,000 home would see a monthly tax increase of $5.50 per month.
