Medford school seeks $19.8M referendum

Medford Public School residents asked plenty of questions during an Oct. 11 informational forum about a $19,855,000 referendum on the ballot in November–and school officials came prepared with answers.

“It’s probably been 20 years since we had a conversation like this,” Superintendent Mark Ristau told a small group gathered in the school auditorium.

That’s how long ago the current school was built. Bonds issued then will be paid off in about six years, which provides an opportunity to soften the tax blow for property owners.

Ristau’s initial presentation laid out the two questions voters will face:

• Question 1: Adds seven classrooms, including a special education classroom; expands and renovates career and technical education (CTE), family and consumer science (FACS), and culinary arts spaces; adds a multipurpose fitness and wrestling room, and a weight room; and addresses facility issues including replacement of the elementary gym floor, restroom additions, some heating/cooling/ventilation replacement, fire alarm panel replacement, mechanical space addition, storage space expansion, and renovating the staff collaboration room.
• Question 2: A gymnasium and storage space addition.

Voters will have the opportunity to vote on both questions, but if No. 1 does not pass, No. 2 will not either, even if it receives enough votes on its own.

“Question one is really all about space, adding space, reorganizing space,” Ristau said.

That includes a large, informal commons space (now sixth and seventh grade classrooms) similar to what’s in place just inside the Medford High School entrance. Ristau also said it’s not known at this point whether the seven new classrooms would used for the high school or the elementary school.

“We would utilize those classrooms tomorrow if we had them,” he said. “We have four or five teachers on carts. They don’t have a classroom.”

Ristau explained that the current plan calls for “capturing” the current weight room and wrestling spaces to double the size of the shop area. While a career in the trades “is really where it’s at right now,” he said, “I don’t think we’re doing our kids justice as far as preparing them for those fields.”

Answering a question about whether the district would need to hire more staff with the expanded space, he said current teachers have the credentials to handle the classes that would be offered if the referendum passes.

Also, Ristau said, “There are waivers out there to bring community experts in to help with more advanced offerings.” 

The improved athletic and activity spaces and storage are included in the second question. A new gym would look much like the current elementary gym in terms of size and configuration. Ristau said the new wrestling area’s mats could be raised off the floor, allowing the room to be used for fitness classes, community education, and other purposes.

“There is allowance for new (weight room) equipment,” Ristau said in response to a question. “What we have is few and far between.” 

There’s also a plan for 30 feet of green space between the current building and the addition, which means classrooms will have windows and natural lighting.

While residents had some specific design questions, school board vice chair Jon Sutherland said, “We will be reaching out to the community (in the design phase) if it passes.”

Questions also centered around the timing of the referendum. Jeff Seeley of Ehlers Public Finance Advisors said an existing bond for the current building expires in 2030, and “we’re kind of rolling it into that and evening it out” so property taxes will remain “pretty flat”.

Payments on the new bond will be smaller at first, then increase once the old bond falls off.

Ristau pointed out that Medford is one of the few school districts in the state that doesn’t have an operating levy–a tax that goes toward general fund expenses. That’s due in large part to the $2 million collected annually through open enrollment, he said. Over 45% of Medford students come to the school from outside the district.

Someone asked about whether open enrollment kids would be “pouring in” once the project is complete, Ristau explained there’s a cap in place based on class sizes.

Consultants also covered the financial impact if voters approve both referendums. Residents can get an estimate of their 2024 tax bills using an online calculator on the district’s referendum website, bit.ly/mps-ref23.

The State of Minnesota will cover a hefty $7.1 million of the total project cost, through the Ag2School Tax Credit, an automatic 70% credit designed to reduce the burden for ag property owners, and a Debt Service Equalization Credit, a form of state aid that helps districts will smaller tax bases offset the costs of building.

To learn more about the Nov. 7 referendum, visit bit.ly/mps-ref23. The next open house and presentation is slated Oct. 30, 6-8 p.m., in the school auditorium.

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Medford Referendum Open House

• Monday, Oct. 30, 6-8 p.m.

• Medford School Auditorium

• For information, visit bit.ly/mps-ref23, call 507-214-6300, or write to

mristau@medfordtigers.org