ABOVE: ICS Development Executive Pat Overom, Building and Grounds Director Tyler Garrison and School Board Member Dan Brookens look over the plans presented at the facilities planning update open house on Tuesday at Fairmont Elementary School.

FAIRMONT – After a year of work, the Fairmont School Board in collaboration with ICS held the first open house for potential improvement projects, then had a discussion during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

ICS Development Executive Pat Overom said that what was presented in the open house was the culmination of several processes that brought the most important projects to the forefront.

“We spent a lot of time and went through a lot of effort to prioritize things,” he said. “Making sure we kept student education first and that student experience at the forefront. We went into developing different solution alternatives to meet those needs, and we worked through the evaluation of several different funding options.”

The proposed improvements would be twofold, one is HVAC and infrastructure improvements, while the second is improvements that would be covered under a potential referendum.

Examples of HVAC and infrastructure improvements include updating the HVAC in all elementary and high school classrooms, making elementary and school roofing upgrades and constructing new welding stations with exhaust in the high school.

ICS Project Development Director Chris Ziemer said the welding stations portion is for increased student safety.

“The current ones don’t do a great job of containing that welding smoke,” he said. “When you got a lot of welding going on, that room fills up.”

Referendum improvements for the high school currently include adding a new and more secure entry and office area while turning the current office into program and support spaces, replacing falling sewer piping, remodeling the locker rooms near the gymnasium with single-person stalls and a Fine Arts Learning Center Addition for Band/Choir/Orchestra/Theater.

What is and is not included is subject to change based on factors including community feedback.

For the elementary school, referendum improvements would include refurbishing flooring, outright replacing flooring in the 3 to 6 grade cafeteria and replacing an original elevator from 1954.

The current cost estimate for the HVAC and infrastructure improvements is $17,115,000, while the referendum total sits at $22.4 million.

Any referendum would go out for a vote, on a date yet to be determined. The largest pieces in the $22.4 million are the Fine Arts addition at $8.8 million and the entry/office area changes at $3.937 million.

HVAC and infrastructure improvements have been deemed necessary due to the age of the systems and will go through board approval and bonding.

Ehlers Senior Municipal Advisor Shelby McQuay said, if the board-approved and voter-approved bonds were to go through, those with a residential homestead valued at around $200,000 would see an estimated impact of $193 on their annual taxes.

Based on Market Value per acre, an agricultural homestead at $5,000 per acre would see an estimated .84 cent increase per acre in annual taxes. A homestead at $10,000 per acre would see an estimated $1.68 increase.

McQuay said a new building bond agricultural credit will help keep taxes down.

“That provides a 70 percent reduction on the portion of agricultural taxes that go to debt,” she said. “Anything that goes into that debt category, that property tax owner will see an automatic reduction on their tax payments. That 70 percent credit, when you have nearly 40 percent in qualifying Ag to school credit, the amount coming from the general fund to the school district, not from taxpayers, is [almost] 26 percent.”

Board Member Michael Edman asked if this meant 26 percent of the referendum cost would be paid by the state of Minnesota. McQuay said it does.

Edman also inquired on how long it would take to get everything done, given most of the work would have to be done in the summertime. Overom said most of the work would be done in summer 2026 and 27, with the finishing touches done in 2028.

Superintendent Andy Traetow said he feels they’re at a good balancing point.

“To make the best decision for the future of our districts and the experience we provide for our students,” he said. “We’re confident we’ve arrived at a scope that allows us to do that while keeping our buildings in a healthy, viable state for many decades by doing this now, rather than waiting to the point of disrepair.”

The school district also wishes to continue hearing feedback from the community regarding what’s being worked on.

“We’re looking forward to continued dialog,” Traetow said. “Providing information to the public and making sure we answer any questions, with your help and support, to put our constituents in a most informed manner.”

To do so, call 507-238-4234.

The next school board meeting has been postponed to 5:15 p.m. on July 22.