Officials at the Audubon Community School District got right to work preparing for much-needed renovations, upgrades and security improvements at their middle and high school following approval from voters last week of a $7.5 million bond referendum. The referendum needed a 60-percent supermajority for approval with and exceeded that threshold by 9.5 percent with 271 of the 390 ballots cast in support of the project. Superintendent, Eric Trager, says he and the board were pleased to see the referendum pass by a significant margin.
About $3.5 million will be used to completely overhaul the building’s HVAC and the remaining $4 million will be used to replace numerous pieces of equipment that are at or beyond end of life, installation of a new sprinkler system, improvements to secure entrances and cosmetic improvements, like new floors, ceilings and paint. Now that the bond has passed, Trager says they have already started work on finalizing designs and scheduling contractors.
He adds it is always difficult to go to voters and ask them to support an increase to their taxes, and he offered thanks to everybody who came out and supported the project.
Trager also serves as the shared superintendent of the Coon Rapids-Bayard (CR-B) Community School District, which held a $3 million bond referendum on the same day as Audubon’s. It failed to reach the required 60-percent threshold by only two percent, and Trager says he is working with school officials there to determine how CR-B will proceed with their project.
