frequently asked questions

On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, voters in the Aitkin School District will consider a three-question bond referendum:

• Question One asks voters to consider a $49.79 million plan to replace the nearly 70-year-old elementary school with a new PreK-6 building.

• Question Two asks voters to consider $3.19 million for additional bus storage to provide adequate space to store all district vehicles. Question One must pass for Question Two to pass.

• Question Three asks voters to consider a $2.325 million investment in an additional gymnasium station attached to the new PreK-6 elementary school, which would be accessible to the public. Question Two can only pass if voters also approve Question One. Questions One and Two must pass for Question Three to pass.

For complete details on the plan, visit the Plan page.

The plan would build a new school to replace Rippleside Elementary, solving the biggest problems facing our elementary students and staff, including:

• Small, Limited Classrooms: Small classrooms make it hard for students to work together, do hands-on activities, and learn in small groups.

• Safety and Security Risks: Lack of secured entrances, walkways, and building areas that aren’t handicap accessible, and crowded drop-off areas are safety concerns for students and staff.

• Lack of Space for Student Support: There isn’t enough room to give students the special education and mental health help they need. 

• Health Concerns: Poor air quality, inconsistent temperatures, and asbestos exposure create health concerns that distract from learning.

• Small, Crowded Gyms: The main gym is too small, and the other gym is also used as a lunchroom, limiting space for classes, activities, and storing equipment. 

• Hazardous Bus Garage: The outdated school bus garage is located off-site and near the railroad tracks, making daily transportation risky and inefficient.

Since 2016, Aitkin Public Schools has led a thoughtful facilities planning process to create an investment plan that reflects our community’s priorities and supports our students, staff, and residents.

In November 2025, Aitkin Public Schools presented voters with a $65.44 million bond referendum to replace Rippleside Elementary School with a new building, and build an attached community wellness center and improved vehicle storage space.

After voters narrowly rejected that referendum, school leaders re-evaluated district needs and gathered feedback from staff and community members to adjust the proposed plan. The school board reaffirmed that building a new PreK-6 school to replace the nearly 70-year-old Rippleside Elementary building provides the best long-term value for students, staff, and taxpayers.

The new plan, proposed this April, addresses the same needs as before, with a 33% lower annual tax impact than the plan proposed in November 2025. 

For more information on the process, visit the Process page.

A new PreK-6 school will provide a safe, efficient building equipped to fully support today’s teachers and curriculum, with:

• Improved Classrooms and Student Support: New classrooms that are appropriately sized to support hands-on activities, small group work, and personalized learning. Dedicated special education spaces will provide enhanced services and support for students who need it most, and a new media center will offer a flexible area for reading, research, and group projects.

• Enhanced Safety for Young Children: A controlled entrance and monitored main office will help ensure only authorized visitors enter the school. Separate drop-off zones for cars and buses will make traffic flow smoother and safer.

• Easier Access for Students with Disabilities: The new PreK-6 building will be fully accessible, with ADA-compliant entrances, classrooms, and restrooms, making it easier for all students, staff, and our community to move around and access the building.

• Healthier Spaces and Energy Savings: New heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, boilers, windows, and doors will improve air quality and temperature control while saving on energy costs. New plumbing and drainage systems will prevent leaks and water damage, creating a healthier space for students to learn and grow. The district would save a projected $35,000 annually on energy and maintenance efficiencies alone.

Our high school building is also aging and in need of investment, but the challenges at Rippleside are more urgent. 

The district considered options to invest in the MS/HS as well during the planning process, but recognized that the cost of repairing or replacing both schools would create too large a tax impact for our community. However, the location of the new elementary building leaves open the opportunity of connecting a new middle/high school on the property sometime in the future.

At this time, a complete renovation of the high school is not being considered, though the district is continuing to assess and address the high school’s needs as part of our ongoing maintenance and improvement efforts. One of these priorities is evaluating the HVAC system to ensure it remains reliable and efficient. 

The district has already made significant updates to the high school over the last several years. Following the rejected referendum in 2016, the science labs on the second and third floors and the second floor math wing have been remodeled. The main entrance, cafeteria, special education, and commons spaces were also remodeled to improve entryway security and small-group space for students. In the fabrication lab, new equipment such as laser and 3D printers have also been added.

If the referendum is approved, cost and energy savings from the new elementary school will allow the district to redirect more maintenance funds toward the high school to address remaining needs.

Yes. In November 2025, Aitkin Public Schools presented voters with a $65.44 million bond referendum to replace Rippleside Elementary School with a new building, and build an attached community wellness center and improved vehicle storage space. Voters narrowly rejected this plan, but the challenges facing the building and our district – including undersized classrooms, poor air quality, and safety concerns – remain.

After gathering feedback from teachers, parents, and community members, the school board reaffirmed that building a new PreK-6 school to replace the nearly 70-year-old Rippleside Elementary building provides the best long-term value for students, staff, and taxpayers. 

That’s why the district is proposing an adjusted plan with a tax impact approximately 33% lower annually than the plan proposed in November 2025.

The April 2026 referendum will ask voters to consider an adjusted plan with an approximately 33% lower annual tax impact than the plan proposed during the November 2025 referendum. This was accomplished by reducing planned square footage for the new school, gym, and bus storage space, and extending the term of the bonds from 20 to 25 years. The updated plan will cost homeowners in Aitkin approximately 33% less annually than the November 2025 plan.

In addition, the new plan will be proposed to residents as three ballot questions instead of two, giving voters greater control over the parts of the plan they wish to vote on. 

For more information on the process, visit the Plan page.

The challenges at Rippleside Elementary are not going away. The district does not have enough money to fix and update the nearly 70-year-old building on top of ongoing maintenance costs that continue to rise over time. 

If voters reject the referendum this November, Aitkin Public Schools will not receive the $5 million grant from the IRRRB. This rare funding opportunity is only available for the proposed referendum project, and future funding opportunities are not likely. 

We work hard to keep up with the needs of our aging school building, but we’re just one step away from a major emergency that could disrupt student learning and school operations, like a broken boiler in the middle of winter or a plumbing failure. These emergency repairs cost more and make it hard to plan and budget facilities maintenance for both of our school buildings. Without a long-term solution, the district and school board will keep focusing on fixing the most urgent problems, using more of our budget to react to problems instead of preventing them.

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

Yes. In the last 10 years, voters in 181 Minnesota school districts have approved building bond referenda to finance construction projects.

Great schools benefit our community and those who call it home. They help attract families, support local businesses, and strengthen the quality of life in our area. A modern elementary school would make Aitkin more appealing to new residents and families, bring in jobs during construction, and open the door for future housing and economic growth. 

For 150 years, Aitkin Public Schools have been a source of opportunity and pride. This proposed plan focuses on our most urgent need — a new PreK-6 elementary school — to ensure our schools continue supporting Aitkin’s future. It would also add a new gymnasium space for both school and public use, giving people of all ages a place to gather and stay active while strengthening the ties between our schools and the community.

The proposed new elementary school would be located on approximately 80-90 acres of 225 acres of land owned by the school district (34305 405th Place, Aitkin). The proposed referendum includes the costs of running water and sewer to the district-owned property.

In 2018, a community task force recommended a long-range goal of creating a single PreK-12 campus. Our district recognizes what it will take to make that vision a reality. That is why we are choosing an incremental approach with an emphasis on the most urgent need: a new PreK-6 school. If voters approve the April 2026 referendum, the new elementary school would be the first major step toward making a unified school campus.

The district already owns land for a future unified campus and has secured IRRRB grant funding to support critical infrastructure work. While future phases to consolidate other school buildings and athletic fields are not yet scheduled or funded, we will continue to engage our community in long-term facilities planning for our schools. 

This vision will take time. With each step, we’re building a stronger foundation for Aitkin’s students, community, and future.

If a new PreK-6 school is built, the district will put the Rippleside Elementary property on the market. If it doesn’t sell within two years, we will consider demolishing the building and selling the land as lots for new housing or development.

If the referendum is approved by voters this fall, the district will work closely with community members to determine how the new gymnasium space will be designed, managed, and scheduled. We’ve heard a clear desire for it to be a shared, accessible space that welcomes people of all ages year-round, which is our goal. As plans move forward, we’ll provide regular updates and invite input to ensure the gym meets the needs of residents.

The new gymnasium station will have its own dedicated entrance for public visitors, and there will be no access to the school for community members during school hours. Movement between school and community spaces will be restricted, with key fobs used only by school staff.

The Aitkin School Board carefully considered the value of remodeling the existing Rippleside building versus constructing a new building. Given the age of the current building, construction estimates projected that remodeling the building to address all needed repairs would cost approximately 62% of the cost to build new. Remodeling would only address some of the classroom resizing, collaborative space, or other learning space improvements that are standard in new Minnesota schools today.

The school board is committed to building a new PreK-6 school that is prepared to serve students for decades to come, and believes doing so provides the best long-term value for students, staff, taxpayers, and the health of our community.

Recognizing the immense value of this investment for the community, the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board has agreed to provide a $5 million grant to support the construction of the school should voters approve the referendum.

The school board examined the three most viable options to create more traffic safety. Each of these would require taking space from Woock Field, eliminating its ability to host baseball as it does today. With little available land within the City of Aitkin that is large enough for a new baseball field, the problem is likely not solved without a significant financial investment. In addition, the school board does not believe the community wants to choose between traffic safety and having enough baseball fields.

For a few purposes that are defined by law, school boards can issue bonds for repair plans and increase the property tax levy. School districts do have levy authority for various aspects associated with the repair and renovate plan options discussed. The district does have direct levy authority for things like parking lot modifications with parent pick-up and drop-off, for indoor air quality improvements, for asbestos abatement, for roofing replacements, and limited authority for additions of educational spaces (or educational athletic spaces). These funding sources are all allowable with school board and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) approval.

A full renovation plan would likely require another referendum. However, a less-expensive renovation plan for the current Rippleside property will only address a portion of the issues raised in the building and educational space assessments.