Frequently Asked Questions

At the beginning of 2024, the Nevis School Board initiated a long-term planning process to address challenges and guide improvements to our school facilities. To help shape the plan, the district retained K-12 facility experts at ICS to determine projected enrollment growth and assess the condition of our facilities. Further, the process included input from staff, parents, students, and residents gathered through listening sessions, community meetings, and surveys. Learn more on the Process Page.

If approved by voters, the plan would enhance safety and security, add learning space, support modern education, upgrade essential infrastructure, and make other site improvements to benefit students at the Nevis School.

Key improvements include:

• Expanded space: The plan would add and expand classrooms and provide more space for Special Education, student support services, staff and student collaboration, and Career and Technical Education (CTE). 

• Improved safety and security: The plan would create a controlled main entrance and a new drop-off and pick-up loop that separates bus and vehicle traffic. 

• New gym and dedicated cafeteria: The plan would build a new gym for physical education classes and other activities, allowing the district to convert the current small gym into a cafeteria and provide more dedicated space for fine arts. 

• Updated mechanical systems: The plan would replace the building’s oldest HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems to improve ventilation and air quality and centralize all temperature controls. It would also provide new electrical and fire alarm systems. 

• New athletic complex: The plan would build a new athletic complex, including new baseball and softball fields, a new football field, a new track, a grandstand, concessions, restrooms, and a parking lot. 

• New playground and more green space: The plan would build a new playground and expand green space for elementary students. 

• Renovated kitchen and bathrooms: The plan would provide a new, properly ventilated kitchen and new bathroom facilities. 

For more information, visit the Plan Page.

The Nevis School Board considered breaking the project into smaller parts, but because everything is connected, that wouldn’t work. For example, to make our high school classrooms the right size, we need to build new classrooms to replace the ones being moved.

In addition, a single project that addresses the full scope of our facilities needs is more cost-effective than smaller projects extended over several years. For example, if we took one large project and split it into 10 smaller projects, we would repeat start-up costs, public information costs, and election costs 10 times (more expensive). We would also need to get bids 10 times, and low-bid laws mean we don’t get to select a preferred contractor (harder to manage). A single project also allows the district to lock in a single interest rate and avoid the effects of future inflation during financing. 

We could. However, delaying won’t change the need to invest in our facilities – but the cost to local taxpayers will likely increase due to construction inflation and added interest costs.

The district explored the option of building a new school and determined our school doesn't need to be replaced. However, it does need to be expanded and redesigned to meet the needs of students and staff. 

In Minnesota, voters decide whether school districts can increase property taxes to pay for the bonds used for renovating and constructing school buildings. Like a loan on a car or mortgage on a house, the bonds need to be repaid over time plus interest.

If the referendum fails, our district will not be able to make significant updates to our facilities. The district will continue to engage the community to determine our next steps – however, the district’s funding sources are not nearly enough to address the full scope of our facilities needs.

Strong schools promote strong families and businesses, help stimulate economic growth, and create job opportunities. Our school also serves as a hub for community education, events, and athletics.

No, the district isn’t adding a new gym but replacing the existing small gym, which was built in 1957. As part of the plan, the current gym will be repurposed and renovated into a dedicated cafeteria/multipurpose room. To maintain physical education space, we will build a new, two-station classroom gym — not a performance gym — to support physical education classes. Learn more here about the need for a dedicated cafeteria and expanded space for physical education, among other challenges.

We could. However, delaying won’t change the need to invest in our facilities – but the cost to local taxpayers will likely increase due to construction inflation and added interest costs. According to the Thurner Building Cost Index, the average rate of construction inflation was 4.64% over the past 5 years (2019-2023).