District voters to weigh two-part levy question

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The Henning School District will be heading back to local voters for a second time in six months as it looks to complete its first major building project in almost 30 years. 

In November the first question of an expansive school building referendum that would have addressed everything from enhancing elementary classrooms to creating a new entrance at the back of the school and improving indoor air quality failed by just 26 votes. A second question that included repairs to bathrooms and constructing a new gym failed by just 91 votes.

“Truly the need has not gone away and it is never going to get cheaper,” said Henning School Superintendent Melissa Sparks of the building project.

The referendum would provide necessary funding to improve the indoor air quality, which would help with the humidity in the gym and throughout the school, while also providing a more consistent heat throughout the building. For example, Sparks said students in one room in the school may need to wear a sweatshirt to stay warm, while students in another classroom are wearing a t-shirt due to the inconsistent heat the school district currently has as part of its heating system. 

In addition to improving air quality in the school by replacing the aging HVAC system, the referendum will strengthen security and accessibility by relocating the administration office and main entrance, renovating elementary classrooms, complete necessary repairs for a building that is 30 years old like tuck pointing and adding a student commons, cafeteria and create a new career and technical education space.

Sparks said the school board did its part in looking beyond the wants of the school district and focusing more on the needs to not only enhance the educational learning opportunities in Henning, but also be responsible with the taxpayers money.

“We did our best to keep it at what we needed and not be excessive, because we wanted to be responsible for our taxpayers,” she said. “We tried to take care of our repairs, prioritize the needs and package it all together.”

On May 9, the school district will seek $22.7 million for HVAC and security improvements, renovated classrooms, a dedicated cafeteria space and student commons, and provide a career and technical education addition. Other improvements such as updated restrooms, roofing replacement, theater equipment, gym and hallway flooring replacement, and a new parking lot, drop-off loop and playground are also included in the first question. 

As part of the first part of the plan, a new CTE facility will be constructed as part of a new addition near where the current front of the building is located, while the current back of the school will feature a more formal entrance and a new parking lot. 

A second question would provide $4.35 million for a multi-use gymnasium. The multi-use gym would provide additional space for physical education classes, host varsity athletics competitions, provide additional space for indoor recess and enable the school to hold multiple practices and fine arts events simultaneously. Henning School is currently the only school district in the Park Region Conference with only two multi-use gymnasiums, which can limit opportunities for students due to a lack of gym space.

After an expansive construction project in the early 1990s, Henning School has not had a major building project or upgrade in almost 30 years. As technology continues to evolve, some of the design aspects of the building from 30 years ago is not as functional for today’s students who rely on technology more than ever before, as well as teaching that involves more action based learning and not just students sitting in a row as a teacher talks in front of the classroom.

“We will be way more equipped to meet the needs to educate today’s students,” said Sparks of the new elementary classroom design.

In 2022, an educational adequacy assessment was conducted to evaluate the building’s ability to meet the needs of students based on 18 categories identified by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Of the 18 categories, eight areas were found to be inadequate.

The inadequate categories include insufficient spaces for physical education, performing arts and small group work. Others, such as the building’s elementary classrooms, career and technical education space, and cafeteria are graded as “questionably adequate.” A summary of the educational adequacy assessment and the district’s needed maintenance, renovations and additions can be found online at www.OurSchoolOurHornets.org/need.

In addition, things like tuck pointing on the outside of the building and roof repairs need to be done on a building that is 30 years old as part of general maintenance. 

After having its referendum narrowly fail in November, the school board opted to make a few small changes to the plan and put it back in front of the voters in Henning School District for a second time. Sparks said the school district received a number of positive comments about the project and didn’t want to completely scrap their goals of enhancing Henning School for a new generation of Hornets. 

“We really had a positive review from the public from the design we had,” she said.

While the plan is quite similar to the one voters narrowly rejected in the fall, the school district did make a few changes based on the feedback they received in the past. 

For example, this time around the school district moved all of the indoor air quality, remodeling, roof repairs and construction of a new CTE facility in the current front of the school to the first question. The second question only revolves around the construction of a new multi-use gym, as opposed to a number of remodeling projects. 

“We thought people the first time around thought they were just voting for a gym and this time around we wanted to make it clear it is just a multi-use gym (in the second question),” said Sparks. 

The school board also changed the configuration of what could be the new front of the school building to account for a potential gym addition in the future should the first question by approved by a majority of voters and not the second one.

“So even if question one passes and question two doesn’t, and the board looks at adding a gym in the future, the gym will slide right in there,” said Sparks.

If both parts of the question were to pass this time around, the monthly impact for a residential home owner in the school district for a $100,000 home would be just $17 per month. Should only the first question pass the monthly tax increase would be $14 per month and the second question would cost just $3 per month. The second question cannot pass without the first question also passing by a majority of the voters.

Early voting is currently taking place every day school is in session at Henning School at the school. The special election will be held on May 9 at the Henning City Office. 

Editor’s note: This is the first of several articles to be featured in the Citizen’s Advocate in advance of the May 9 special school referendum.