Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson released the second Referendum Communication for a New Track & Field Athletic Complex earlier today. All the information, including estimates for how it will effect the taxpayers, can be found down below –
Referendum Communication #2: March
On August 9th, 2022, Crookston Public School residents will have a decision to make on whether or not the district should construct a multiuse complex. This complex would contain an eight-lane track, a turf field for football, PE classes, soccer, a press box, and field lights. This complex would sit north of Crookston High School and be a part of our home complex. The total cost of this project is estimated at $3,915,000, which is projected to be spread out on a 12-year bond. As with any project, questions have arisen that I would like to answer. My job as your superintendent is to give you honest, accurate, and straightforward information so that you are able to make an informed decision on August 9th.
Why are we doing this project, and why now?
We were unable to purchase the field at the University of Minnesota Crookston. While we are able to use the existing field at UMC, the lifespan of the track has long since expired, and the football field will need to have some investments made into it as well. Currently, a home track meet means that it is held in East Grand Forks as we cannot hold home meets due to the present condition of the track at UMC. We are not able to make these significant investments into the UMC field as we cannot access reserved funds known as LTFM funds because we do not own the land. Once the UMC field was no longer an option, we had to look for a home for the Pirates. We believe that the ideal home of the Pirates should be right outside of the CHS doors. The timing of this project coincides with an increase in state funding towards a credit for agricultural land. Doing this project now will mean that the state will pay for 36% of the project through Ag tax credits.
Who is determining the tax impact numbers, and how are these figured?
Tax impacts are determined by Ehlers Financial, a firm that does this professionally and that I have used for the majority of my career. Ehlers is reputable and serves many, if not the majority of MN school districts. They review the latest tax valuations and have been precisely accurate in other projects that I have worked with them on. These tax impacts are too important to be left to me to calculate as the accuracy of these tax estimates must be beyond reproach, which is why the school board uses the professionals at Ehlers Financial. You can find out more about Ehlers at https://www.ehlers-inc.com/.
What is the tax impact of this project
This is the year-to-year projected impact. The reason that ag land goes down is due to the tax credit increasing from 60% to 70%, which offsets the project’s cost. (see tax impact chart)
What will this look like?
Here is a rendering of what this complex would look like.
What is the timeline of this project?
The timeline of this project is very fluid as construction timelines have changed rapidly with the onset of covid and the ramifications of a tight labor market. Here is a projected timeline to the best of my knowledge and based on our architect’s expertise:
Election date: August 9, 2022. If the referendum passes:
January 2023: Construction Documents and bid packet released
February 2023: Bids completed and selected
May 2023: Mobilization and beginning of construction phase
September 2023: Goal of being completed and to begin utilizing the facility.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to talk about this project, please feel free to contact me at 218-770-8717 or email me at jeremyolson@isd593.org. Go Pirates!
