Pros

• Improvements to field (drainage, slopes, turf) will save on maintenance costs as well as prevent activities cancellations

• Absentee voting is available for the Tuesday vote

• Completed facilities project will meet the Title 9 (equal for males and females) and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations

• Completed project will offer greater programming capacity for district and community

•  No tax impact due to replacing the current bond on new high school with the facilities bond

• Input was gathered through a ThoughtExchange survey with 319 participants

Cons

•  The potential total of proposed city of Albert Lea/school district expenditures is $134 million to $154 million, which is in addition to other projects already in progress

• District poverty level is at 50.4 percent with the state being 37.2 percent.

• No money is budgeted for increases in maintenance and upkeep of new facilities

• Only one option has been offered to voters

• Current project costs will not leave room for extra needs that will arise in the next 21 years

• Any extra levies/taxes will be taxed on top of this

• Costs of relocating and possibly building the district garage, which is currently located on the south end of the fieldhouse

• No utilization of the new outdoor facility during winter months

• Currently the perception is no push to increase district support for most after school sports at the Middle School level

• Continued lack of elementary gym space (Halverson is not the only gym with lack of space)

• Timing of extended bond is at a critical economic time for community

• As stated by a school board member at the Feb. 20 meeting (See Albert Lea Area Schools on YouTube Feb. 20 school board meeting at 1:20:07) there are no final details on this project and will not be until when and if the community votes the referendum through, so details are subject to change.

Questions

• Will the public be allowed to access the track?

The answer to this question will be made by district administration.

• Was the final $24.615 million project cost adjusted by administration in order to equal the expiring tax burden?

(See Albert Lea Area Schools YouTube Feb. 20, school board meeting at 1:21:31 when the superintendent says he had to push the developers a little bit because they came back very conservative in their approach and that he knew the ballpark we were going to be in financially so some more was brought into the dollar amount of the project.)

• Was the ThoughtExchange survey emailed to community members or simply parents of students and staff?

If this was the only means of gathering information on community thoughts and ideas to develop a plan for upgrading facilities, 319 total participants is a fraction of those affected by the referendum vote.

Thought Exchange results:  319 people articipated

54.5 percent: Parent/guardian, 174 people

33.5 percent: Staff member, 107

10.0 percent: Community member, 32

1.6 percent: Other, 5

0.3 percent: Student, 1

Again, engage, educate yourselves and ask questions. Vote Tuesday.

Diane Aysta

Albert Lea