Washburn School District seeks to increase taxes for major repair project

School district of Washburn residents will be asked to decide whether to increase taxes to help pay for a major school renovation project.

Voters will be asked to approve a $ 14.43 million building referendum. According to a statement from the district, the debt issued would address “the significant challenge facing the district —funding the needed capital maintenance and accessibility/security projects that are too expensive to pay for out of the annual budget.”

If passed on Nov. 5, it is projected that taxpayers will see an increase in the school portion of their property taxes of $199 per $100,000 worth of property.

Improvements would be made to the middle/high school building and site. Work that would be done include building system updates; exterior brick repair; window, flooring and ceiling replacement; site improvements; ADA modifications to restrooms; construction of an accessible and secure entrance; and furniture, fixtures and equipment.

The last capital referendum was 25 years ago and the district is currently debt free.

“We can’t thank the community enough for their continued support of the Washburn schools, we know that the school is an important part of making this community special. We aim to use this building project to preserve our buildings for generations to come,” stated Superintendent Denise Michaelsen in the release.