On August 9th, Crookston Public Schools will be asking voters to vote on whether or not to build a multiuse facility on district-owned land north of Crookston High School. This facility will consist of an 8-lane track; a turf field for soccer, football, and softball; press box and seating for 750+, and a concession/bathroom building that will be built partially by our CTE students.
Why are we doing this?
It is financially the best long-term option: We explored the purchase of the current football field, however, after several conversations we were unable to secure the purchase of the field. Specialized funding streams that are used for the ongoing repair and replacement of any facility are contingent on the district owning the land. This is very important as the proposed project represents the most fiscally prudent path forward for the district as ongoing repairs and maintenance would be covered by district funds so long as the land is owned by the district.
Provides Quality Playing Surface: Allows our school to hold home track meets, provides for a quality playing surface for soccer, football, softball, physical education classes and community walking/running. Turf also provides better fall protection than traditional grass in most conditions. In addition to this, turf also allows for playability during wet years such as this year.
Provides Benefits for more than just athletics: While the athletic benefits are easy to see, we also need to recognize that this will provide much-needed green space for physical education and community education. Getting students active in physical education courses, partnering with the city to use this facility for youth activities are all part of the vision for this project. This is a community project and thus we want to make sure that this facility benefits our community.
What is the tax impact of this project:
Here is the tax impact chart. I do want to note that for the commercial/industrial tax impact there is a change based on some incorrect data that Ehlers had imputed into the system. This change did not affect Ag or Residential. All material has been corrected to showcase this difference as we want to be transparent and honest in all of our communications.
We also have a link to our website with additional information and a tax calculator so that you input your specific assessment information into the system to determine what your individual tax impact will be: https://www.crookston.k12.mn.us/district-proposedreferendum
Upcoming Public Meetings to learn more about this project:
May 18th at 5:30pm in the CHS Auditorium
June 15th at 5:30pm in the CHS Auditorium
July 20th at 5:30pm in the CHS Auditorium
August 3rd at 5:30pm in the CHS Auditorium
If you have any questions regarding this project, please feel free to contact me at 218-770-8717(cell) or email me at jeremyolson@isd593.org. Go Pirates!
