Sumner-Fredericksburg CSD Bond Referendum Website Now Available
The Sumner-Fredericksburg Community School District has launched a new website to provide community members with information about the $16.3 million bond referendum on the ballot Tuesday, November 3.
The online resource is available at www.sfcsd-future.org. It features details about the district’s facility needs and project plans, architectural renderings, information on the potential impact a bond issue would have on property taxes, and a contact form to submit questions and feedback.
“We are pleased to launch this website as a source for information about the proposed bond referendum for Sumner-Fredericksburg,” said Superintendent Ryan Cunningham. “Our goal is to keep our communities informed with accurate, transparent, and timely updates. We encourage everyone to visit the site regularly to learn more about the proposal, explore the needs it addresses, and stay engaged as we look toward the future of our schools together."
District officials are pursuing a multi-phase plan to update facilities for the future in both Sumner and Fredericksburg. In addition to a voter-approved bond issue, the school board and administration are leveraging $11.5 million in statewide sales tax revenue from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) fund. Spending state sales tax revenue will allow district officials to reduce the financial burden placed on local property taxpayers.
SAVE funds will support a new secure main entrance and office area at the high school campus, along with renovation of the music classrooms, renovation of the art classroom and affiliated spaces, modernization of career and technical education classrooms, a new special education suite, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades, and ADA accessibility improvements.
SAVE revenue would also cover a roof replacement at the middle school and the construction of a new secure entrance at Fredericksburg Elementary. Additional updates at the elementary building in Fredericksburg would allow a portion of the facility to house the new Future Frontier charter school, the No Boundaries Northeast program for 8th graders, and community engagement space.
A second phase of construction would be financed using general obligation bonds in each community. A new elementary and early childhood center would be created at the high school campus in Sumner through an addition and an extensive remodel of the south half of the building. The project would allow Durant Elementary to be closed in the future.
A two-story classroom addition would be built at the north end of the building to serve high school students, providing new space for agriculture education, general science, family and consumer sciences, business education, and a media center. The west wing of the school would be demolished when all work is complete.
New and expanded special education spaces, updated restrooms, and a new playground with hard and soft play surfaces are included in plans for the Sumner campus, as well as HVAC improvements at Fredericksburg Elementary and interior improvements at the middle school.
"Our proposal is about providing more opportunities for our students while making smart, long-term investments in our schools,” Cunningham said. “The projects would create modern learning spaces, improve safety, enhance efficiency, and reduce maintenance and operational expenses. Most importantly, it would strengthen our district and provide lasting benefits for both of the communities we are proud to serve."
An approved bond issue would have a maximum tax impact of $2.70 per $1,000 of taxable property value. For a home in the district worth $200,000, the change would equate to about $216.44 per year, or $18.04 per month.
Based on the average assessed value for agricultural property, the annual per-acre tax impact in Bremer County would be approximately $2.91, $3.02 in Chickasaw County, and $3.10 in Fayette County.