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Elk River, MN 55330 • Vo1.135, No. 30 • July 25, 2007 • DAYTON OTSEGO RAMSEY ELK RIVER Referendum .debate intensifies nd le items near breaking point bo vY ^ School Board to resume talks tomorrow as it wrestles with latest plan to carry the district for five-six years at a $125 million price tag by Jim Boyle Editor Discussion of a fall bond and levy referendum will resume at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the District Office after firm numbers have been applied to the latest and more costly machination of a bond refer- endum proposal. The newest proposal is a $125 million plan that includes a future middle school facility that would first accommodate a K-eight population. That, coupled with a series of other build- ing projects already on the radar, could carry the district five to six years before anoth- er building bond referendum would be needed and the 1~t1 I~r~1;~'~ Na#ional Night Out deadline nears July 27 is the last day to ..,,,,;~+or ;,~ F.lk River t.n lust school could become solely a middle school. School Board members like that optionhat it can be done in a way keeps K-five and six-eight populations separate. The School Board also delved into operating levy discussions this past Monday, and concluded the one com- ponent missing from the District 728 administration's plan was money to reduce student-to-teacher ratios in the elementary schools. A $4.9 million operating levy proposal assembled by the administration took care of several other interests, including: - •bringing back middle school athletics, •bringing back the seven- period day or .block schedul- ing at the secondary school level to increase the number of electives being offered so that students have incrworld chances of taking languages, music, shop and advanced placement courses, and •providing money to open new school facilities. To date the School Board has been considering a bond referendum for: • a 1,000-student senior high school in Zimmerman complete with an auditorium and athletic fields, • an expansion to Westwood Elementary .School in Zimmerman, .a $13-million renova- tion and expansion of Elk River High School to include three additional gym sta- tions, classroom additions and a more secure entrance through remodeling, • a 600-student classroom addition at Rogers High School and an auditorium, and • an elementary school i • www.erst ROGI the south that is now tar- geted to be a middle school The-Bank of .Elk River's F winner of the Kiss the F Schools to page 8 Sherburne Coutnh t badlt's' to kiss the pig Y• JGC uIG ~niciuu~~•~ ., .._~ Fair in pictures. ^ 1 B ..~ .~ $1.00 • 763-441-3500 Pucke