OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES FACTS ABOUT THE SCHOOL REFERENDUM, NOT FICTION. A recent Letter To The Editor offered an unusual amount of fiction, in a likely attempt to confuse voters. Teachers for Truth was asked to review that letter, and here are their responses. HERE ARE FIGTION Mora Hign School wan remodeled "almost FICTION School leaders get $500.0 every year completely in recent years" for routine maintenanoe FIVE OTHER Mora High School was first built in 1935 with addtions from the 1950's to the FAG 1980's. Teachers in the building can confirm that there has been very sttle remodeling done in the faoility. There are air quality issues, lead in the water, interior water damage from excessive leaking, an incomplete fire spinkler and cramped. wom-out classrooms with broken equipment. Mora High School is a far cry from having been completely remodeled in recent years FACT Money that public schools receive from the state is strictly limited in how it may be spent. For district wide maintenance, Mora ACTUAL FACTS Public Schools has recelved and spent approximately $4 mllion over the last 15 years, an average of $267,000 per year TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU VOTE The state formula for providing maintenance funds to schools changed in 2016, sending more money to Mora's schools. This funding has been used each year for needed repairs for all of the buldings. Whether the district moves ahead with building a new school or Plan 8, these dollars will still be needed for routine maintenance. 1. The Board Has Voted To Address Our Health And Safety Issues. The school board has decided that property taxes will increase starting in 2021 to provide healthier and safer schools. On May 12th, Mora voters will decide whether to dedicate the "Members of the 2019 Task Force determined that the cost of repaining the high schoo would be between $8-510 milion FICTION increased property taves to build a new high school or invest miliors in the first phase of making needed repairs to a building that was designed and opened in the 1930's These state funds are not adequate to pay for major projects like replacing the HVAC, bolers, fire sprinkler systems and plumbing replacement. Local taes wil need to be aised for the high school to recelve Plan 8 improvements. This was not the determination of the FACT 2019 Task Force. A few members of the 2. Plan B Is Ready, With The Same Tax Impact Task Force proposed this amount, but no As A New High School. If voters reject the independent study suppoted that total. referendum to build a new school, the The Task Force estimated the cost of all improvements needed to the current FICTION "Fees to CS will be 24.26% bulding to be $42 milion, and even if al those sepairs were made, our high school would st not result in a school fully FACTarchitectural, mechanical, electrical, designed for modern education, school board will move forward with "Plan B to increase property taxes to fund the first phase of repairs to the current school. Plan B was formally adopted at the February 27, 2020 meeting of the school board and work on these repairs will begin in June 2020 it the referendum fails. The tax impact per year is the same because the State will only pay 12% of the cost of the first phase of Plan B (compared to 37% for a new high school). The tees for proflessional services civil, and structural design services and Plan B proposes an intial expenditure of $13.3 million, which will not address all health, safety and accessibility issues Additional repair plans will be equired after the first phase is paid off. Classroom construction management services) will be 12-14% of the total cost for the new school, which is consistent with industry standard. ICS is the program manager for this project, butanumberof subcontractors will share those professional fees. These costs have been trarsparently shared at school board meetings and in the review and comment document provided to Minnesota Department of Education. 3. APositivelnvestment For Local Businesses. needs wont be able to be addressed According to an analysis by the University of Minnesota's Extension Department, the new high school construction project will generate $18.6 million dollars of economic activity in Kanabec County beyond direct benefit of construction jobs and materials purchased. This economic activity is 66% under future phases of Plan B for at least 10 years. FICTION The curent sehool leadership does not directly oversee these projects FIRTION "CS will require a long verm exclusive maintenance contract. where the school The school board and administration wil cannot hire any other company more than the $11.2 million that local FACT Nove complee oversigt thoughout the businesses will pay in peoperty taves for their share of the repayment of bonds for project, as they did during the construction CS does not have an exclusive of the elementary school and weliness FACT maintenance controct with any school center construction projects. The school the new school. district in Minnesota, including Mora. board and administration review and approve valous stages of design, as well as all construction contacts which ace competitively bid under MN law 4. Voting Has Already Started. You can vote early and at home by absentee ballot now through May 11th Absentee ballot applications are available at www. "Schools of the future will be smal and FICTION udents wil spend most of their sme eting their education from home MustangsUnited.org/voter-info or by calling the school district office at 320-679-6200 FACT H COVID-19 has taugt us anything it is how valuable attending school in person is for both the education and the total well- being of students. ext. 5500 so they can sendit to you 5. Based On Past Elections, You Will Keep Hearing More Fiction. Too often, those who are opposed to a new high school haven't told the facts about the plan. Remember this one? Last year, an advertisement in AS THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES, the local paper daimed that "not voting is the same as voting yes." State law is crystal clear that this is a lie. Why would anyone buy an advertisement just to deceive HOLD EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROVIDING FACTS, NOT FICTION. voters like that? VOTE YES! SAME PRICE. BETTER SCHOOL. Paid Adertsement Prepared and paid for by the Vote es 332 Conniee, PO Box 14I. MN 55061 OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES FACTS ABOUT THE SCHOOL REFERENDUM, NOT FICTION. A recent Letter To The Editor offered an unusual amount of fiction, in a likely attempt to confuse voters. Teachers for Truth was asked to review that letter, and here are their responses. HERE ARE FIGTION Mora Hign School wan remodeled "almost FICTION School leaders get $500.0 every year completely in recent years" for routine maintenanoe FIVE OTHER Mora High School was first built in 1935 with addtions from the 1950's to the FAG 1980's. Teachers in the building can confirm that there has been very sttle remodeling done in the faoility. There are air quality issues, lead in the water, interior water damage from excessive leaking, an incomplete fire spinkler and cramped. wom-out classrooms with broken equipment. Mora High School is a far cry from having been completely remodeled in recent years FACT Money that public schools receive from the state is strictly limited in how it may be spent. For district wide maintenance, Mora ACTUAL FACTS Public Schools has recelved and spent approximately $4 mllion over the last 15 years, an average of $267,000 per year TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU VOTE The state formula for providing maintenance funds to schools changed in 2016, sending more money to Mora's schools. This funding has been used each year for needed repairs for all of the buldings. Whether the district moves ahead with building a new school or Plan 8, these dollars will still be needed for routine maintenance. 1. The Board Has Voted To Address Our Health And Safety Issues. The school board has decided that property taxes will increase starting in 2021 to provide healthier and safer schools. On May 12th, Mora voters will decide whether to dedicate the "Members of the 2019 Task Force determined that the cost of repaining the high schoo would be between $8-510 milion FICTION increased property taves to build a new high school or invest miliors in the first phase of making needed repairs to a building that was designed and opened in the 1930's These state funds are not adequate to pay for major projects like replacing the HVAC, bolers, fire sprinkler systems and plumbing replacement. Local taes wil need to be aised for the high school to recelve Plan 8 improvements. This was not the determination of the FACT 2019 Task Force. A few members of the 2. Plan B Is Ready, With The Same Tax Impact Task Force proposed this amount, but no As A New High School. If voters reject the independent study suppoted that total. referendum to build a new school, the The Task Force estimated the cost of all improvements needed to the current FICTION "Fees to CS will be 24.26% bulding to be $42 milion, and even if al those sepairs were made, our high school would st not result in a school fully FACTarchitectural, mechanical, electrical, designed for modern education, school board will move forward with "Plan B to increase property taxes to fund the first phase of repairs to the current school. Plan B was formally adopted at the February 27, 2020 meeting of the school board and work on these repairs will begin in June 2020 it the referendum fails. The tax impact per year is the same because the State will only pay 12% of the cost of the first phase of Plan B (compared to 37% for a new high school). The tees for proflessional services civil, and structural design services and Plan B proposes an intial expenditure of $13.3 million, which will not address all health, safety and accessibility issues Additional repair plans will be equired after the first phase is paid off. Classroom construction management services) will be 12-14% of the total cost for the new school, which is consistent with industry standard. ICS is the program manager for this project, butanumberof subcontractors will share those professional fees. These costs have been trarsparently shared at school board meetings and in the review and comment document provided to Minnesota Department of Education. 3. APositivelnvestment For Local Businesses. needs wont be able to be addressed According to an analysis by the University of Minnesota's Extension Department, the new high school construction project will generate $18.6 million dollars of economic activity in Kanabec County beyond direct benefit of construction jobs and materials purchased. This economic activity is 66% under future phases of Plan B for at least 10 years. FICTION The curent sehool leadership does not directly oversee these projects FIRTION "CS will require a long verm exclusive maintenance contract. where the school The school board and administration wil cannot hire any other company more than the $11.2 million that local FACT Nove complee oversigt thoughout the businesses will pay in peoperty taves for their share of the repayment of bonds for project, as they did during the construction CS does not have an exclusive of the elementary school and weliness FACT maintenance controct with any school center construction projects. The school the new school. district in Minnesota, including Mora. board and administration review and approve valous stages of design, as well as all construction contacts which ace competitively bid under MN law 4. Voting Has Already Started. You can vote early and at home by absentee ballot now through May 11th Absentee ballot applications are available at www. "Schools of the future will be smal and FICTION udents wil spend most of their sme eting their education from home MustangsUnited.org/voter-info or by calling the school district office at 320-679-6200 FACT H COVID-19 has taugt us anything it is how valuable attending school in person is for both the education and the total well- being of students. ext. 5500 so they can sendit to you 5. Based On Past Elections, You Will Keep Hearing More Fiction. Too often, those who are opposed to a new high school haven't told the facts about the plan. Remember this one? Last year, an advertisement in AS THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES, the local paper daimed that "not voting is the same as voting yes." State law is crystal clear that this is a lie. Why would anyone buy an advertisement just to deceive HOLD EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROVIDING FACTS, NOT FICTION. voters like that? VOTE YES! SAME PRICE. BETTER SCHOOL. Paid Adertsement Prepared and paid for by the Vote es 332 Conniee, PO Box 14I. MN 55061