ABOVE: Fairmont Area Schools Superintendent Andy Traetow goes over the referendum projects shown on poster boards at Fairmont High School. Part of the referendum is covered by the state via the Ag2School incentive.

FAIRMONT – While absentee and mail voting are open now, there are fewer than two weeks before the in-person vote on Nov. 4 and the choice on the Fairmont Area Schools referendum is made.

The referendum covers multiple changes in the elementary and high school buildings. For the elementary school, it replaces multiple features from the original portion built in 1954, including exterior doors, an elevator and classroom flooring. Other fixes include replacing metal panels on the 1970 gymnasium and replacing damaged bricks on exterior walls.

For the high school building, a big component is to build a fine arts learning center to provide space needed for band, choir and orchestra. Superintendent Andy Traetow said the current situation makes it difficult for the performing arts.

“Band and choir are confined in the basement without bathrooms,” he said. “Our orchestra program practices in the performing arts center. With our musical going on, there are days they have to take their instruments to the HVAC lab due to scheduling and availability of spaces. The capacity of our band room is 120; we consistently exceed that with our senior high concert band. They have to have their regular class periods split, and oftentimes don’t rehearse together until the day of the performance.”

With this in mind, Traetow said a new fine arts learning center has been a need on the radar for a while, as fine arts at Fairmont continues to grow.

“At Fairmont Area schools, we invest in making sure our students have the access and opportunities they need to pursue their interests and receive a well-rounded education,” he said. “All of our programs are extremely important, and we’ve invested in other areas over the years. With the growing numbers and increased interest in our fine arts and performing arts, we feel it’s important to invest in those areas as well.”

Building a new secured entrance and office area is another piece of the high school fixes. Right now, there are two sets of double doors. Once let through, visitors walk into a hallway with access to the entire school building before going into the office. With a new entrance, the office would be placed in front of this hallway, and no one could access the school as a whole without going through the office first.

Other pieces of the referendum would include building an enclosed link between the school and Career and Technical Education addition, updating and remodeling the boys and girls locker rooms with single-stall showers, and making several flooring and building changes.

The total is $21.7 million, with 26 percent of the referendum’s principle and interest covered by the Ag2School tax credit. Traetow said they went through a comprehensive assessment process for the needs of their buildings, gathered stakeholder and public comments and prioritized to choose infrastructure and program needs for students and staff.

Depending on where people live, the tax impact will be different. For a home worth $200,000, the impact will be $7 per month starting in 2026 and ending after 2046 or when the bonds have been paid off, whichever is earlier. For an ag homestead at $10,000 per acre, it would be $0.75 per acre per month.

For those concerned about the tax impacts and the project as a whole, Traetow said they want to ensure all voters have all the information they need before voting.

“Ultimately, as citizens and residents of our school district, we hope people support our students in their education and in the future that is Fairmont Area Schools. We also understand each individual is entitled to their perspective and what they think is important.”

With its most recent assessment via Ehlers, Traetow said the district received positive remarks for bonding due to consistency in management of the school district’s finances over time.

If the referendum is approved, design and pre-construction would go through spring 2026. Bidding would take place at the end of spring 2026, and construction would go from summer 2026 to summer 2028.

If the referendum is not approved, Traetow said they would have to reassess their next steps.

“We’ve done our due diligence and a lot of work to narrow the scope of the projects to items we feel are necessary to continue best serving our students, staff and community,” Traetow said. “If it doesn’t pass, the school board and investment members will have to take a look at what next steps we feel need to be taken in order to continue to move forward with serving our students, staff and our community.”

Mail-in ballots are not being sent out due to it being a special election, but can be requested at https://mnvotes.sos.mn.gov/abrequest/index. They must be filled out and sent in so they reach the Martin County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Voting absentee in person can be done at the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office at 201 Lake Avenue, Suite 201, from now until Monday, Nov. 3, on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voting will also be open Saturday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Voting on election day is Nov. 4 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 920 East 10th Street. You must be registered to vote to vote in the special election.

For more information, or to find out how much of an impact the referendum would have on your taxes, visit fairmontbond.com/.