FAQ

Timing of Involvement:

• General Contractor joins after design is complete
• Construction Manager joins prior to or during the design phase

How Price is Developed:

• General Contractor provides a fixed bid based on completed design
• Construction Manager develops estimates throughout design and finalizes cost (GMP) after hire by an agreed-upon date

How Subcontractor Bid Process Works:

• General Contractor provides a Lump Sum bid with no transparency into specific costs or subcontractor selection
• Construction Manager reviews all bids with owner and provides transparency into specific costs

Role in Design:

• General Contractor has little to no input in design
• Construction Manager actively advises on cost, constructability, and efficiency

Project Approach:

• General Contractor follows a linear “design → bid → build” process
• Construction Manager uses a collaborative “design + cost + build” approach

Flexibility and Risk Management:

• General Contractor pricing can change through change orders if issues arise
• Construction Manager helps identify and reduce risks earlier to limit budget surprises and reach a final cost (GMP) that is reliable

• In an effort to minimize cost prior to a vote of the people in May, the design process will not begin until after a successful bond passage.
• The proposed bond value is an estimate of cost by the Construction Manage based on local market data and historical pricing of similar projects. The School District, Construction Manager and Architect work together to insure the bond program is maintained at or below the value of the bond. 

• Efficient design for instruction, collaboration and supervision
• Classes that can be offered include: Agriculture, Wood working/Construction, Welding/Metals, Small Engines, Automotive, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), Family Consumer Science (Home Economics), Culinary Arts

The design creates the most efficiency use of space and time for our facility in regards to shared staff across programs and serving our entire student population under one roof

• The facility improvements will allow us to provide the appropriate services as required by law for our students who qualify for special education services
• Our existing elementary (1964) was not designed to meet these required services. Service providers currently use closet space, hallways, admin offices, or corners of library to try and educate this already vulnerable population
• Space will be provided for mental health or students in crisis to meet their needs and minimize disruption to the learning environment for other students
• ESU support services such as School Psychology, OT (Occupational Therapy), PT (Physical Therapy), SLP (Speech Language Therapy), LMHP (Licensed Mental Health Practitioner) will be able to provide their services in discrete environments to protect the rights and dignity of the learner

• Early intervention can have an important impact on brain development and addressing developmental delays that can result in more services and higher cost to the district if addressed at a later age
• This would be a half day program like our current 4-yr old preschool

• Board is aware and sensitive that sectors of the district’s economy are facing challenges
• Protecting against the rising cost of construction (3-5% per year) is an important factor in the timing. Waiting 5 years could result in the same project costing 20% more
• Legislation is continuing to limit when schools can hold bond elections so finding the perfect time for all voters may not be possible

YES. The bond levies being used to help individuals calculate their personal impact include project principal AND interest payments for the bond, current bond rates, and the current fiscal year’s valuation.

• If the bond passes in May the school board will set a new bond tax levy as part of their budgeting process in September of 2026
• The approved levy should be adequate to make bond payments based on the amount of bonds that will be issued for that budget year
• Any bond levy approved for the 2026 budget will not be paid by taxpayers until calendar year 2027
• Bonds may be issued as needed over the construction timeline so the entire tax levy being shown on public information may not occur in the first budget cycle

• The bonds would be eligible for refinancing on or after 5 years from the date they are issued
• 20 to 25 year school bonds are refinanced multiple times historically, but there is no guarantee of this as market conditions must be favorable

• A detailed individual tax impact calculator is provided on the bond information website
• These calculators have incorporated projections, formulas, and legislative impact to help provide you the ‘best estimate’ of your personal tax impact

If one or both propositions pass the board will approve a bond levy in September for the 2026-27 fiscal year budget. Taxes for the bonds would begin in calendar year 2027. The board will most likely issue the bonds on an ‘as needed’ basis in line with the design/construction payment schedule. This means the bond levy will most likely not be the full levy being shared in materials and on the calculator. The levy may be approved in increments over time. The board sets the levy to generate the principal and interest needed each year for the bond payment.

• Enrollment is up 14% in last ten years
• Elementary class sizes are near capacity
• This bond is not about increasing capacity…it is to bring our facilities up to today’s standard for our current and future students

• Current gym nearly 50 years old
• Jr High/High school teams routinely need to practice at 5:45 am during season due to limited gym space
• Limited gym space results in kids getting home late on many evenings
• Our current gym floor is too small to meet ADA requirements, accommodate spectator navigation, and host a full three-mat wrestling tournament
• Benefits community as a whole (i.e. youth sports, host conference/district events, host community events)

• The two question ballot allows for voters to support Proposition 1 (safety/security and academics) and Proposition 2 (gym/locker rooms), just Proposition 1 (safety/security and academics) or neither
• This structure allows the Gym question to be approved on its own merits while not tying it to the approval of the needed safety/security and academic project

Yes. Hausmann Construction, the district’s Construction Manager at Risk (CMR), plans to involve students through its Hausmann YOUniversity program, which includes presentations, site tours, and other opportunities that provide insight into construction careers and the building process.