With Less Than Two Weeks to Go, St. Cloud District Prepares For $167 Million Referendum Decision

ST. CLOUD - The St. Cloud area school district went over the numbers Thursday night on how much it will cost home owners if an upcoming $167 million referendum passes or fails.

The referendum involves $113.8 million to build a new Tech High School and $46.5 million to update Apollo High School. The remaining money will be used to update district technology and security at eight area schools.

The owner of a $150,000 home can expect to pay an additional $218.35 a year for 20 years if the referendum passes on November 3rd. However, if the referendum doesn't pass, the owner of that same home would still likely pay $252.43 more per year for 10 years under a deferred maintenance levy. That money would be used to maintain the buildings as they currently are.

The referendum impact for a 40 acre agricultural homestead would be $382.12 per year and would be $441.75 through the deferred maintenance levy if the referendum fails. A $250,000 commercial or industrial property would pay an additional $713.85 per year if the referendum passes and would pay $825.24 through the deferred maintenance levy.

District 742 superintendent Willie Jett emphasized that the referendum isn't about numbers, but an investment into area kids.

“It all comes back to [our] strategic plan. There’s over 10,000 great things that this referendum represents. It’s an investment in our kids and it’s an investment into our community.”

The proposed new Tech High would be 360,000 square feet and could hold up to 1,800 students. It would be placed at 33rd Street South and County Road 75.

Apollo High School is 45 years old, district officials have stressed the importance of updating its entrance and interior to create more hallway space.

For more information on absentee voting and a sample ballot, you can click here.