Early Voting Begins Soon for SR-R Referendum

SAUK RAPIDS (WJON News) -- Early voting begins next week for the special election in the Sauk Rapids-Rice school district.

Absentee in-person voting starts on Friday, December 27th at the district office and continues up to the special election day on Tuesday, February 11th.

You can also vote absentee by mail by contacting Benton County election officials.

On election day there will be five polling places at the Sauk Rapids Government Center, Riverside Terrace, Discovery Church, Watab Township, and Rice City Hall.

Superintendent Brad Bergstrom says he's been getting a lot of questions about what will happen to the Hillside building if the question for a new ECFE building passes.

I've already had some conversations with the city of Sauk Rapids, and I've also had some conversations with some developers who are very interested in that property.  What we'll do is we'll take a look at that and say, "What's in the best interest for the community, what's in the best interest for the school district?"  And, we'll make a decision there.

Bergstrom says there is some money in the referendum for the safe removal of that building if that's necessary.

Earlier this week the school district and the city finalized a land swap near the high school for the potential new ECFE building to be built out there.

The first question asks for $37.2 million to build a new Early Childhood Center.

The second question asks for $17.7 million to develop a new Outdoor Activity Complex on the high school complex.

These projects are separate independent ballot questions.

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If both questions pass, the property taxes on a median household would increase by $3 per year, that's because the current bond for the high school is expiring.

Besides Sauk Rapids-Rice, Sartell-St. Stephen also has a special election on February 11th, and the St. Cloud Area School District has a special election on April 8th.  

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