Round two: P-B voters to decide on $5.1 million elementary project

One year following the first attempt, residents within the Pingree-Buchanan School District will go to the polls again to vote yea or nay on a proposed school improvement project for the elementary school complex in Buchanan.

The P-B school board unanimously decided to proceed with a $5.1 million dollar bond referendum that will go before voters on December 6.

The decision to pursue the project again comes after district voters rejected a similar proposal on November 21 of last year, which would have cost $4.5 million. The 2022 vote was 52 percent no (81 voters) to 48 percent yes (75).

In order to pass, the referendum must be approved by a 60 percent supermajority.

Superintendent Amber Krapp said that the new project is "mostly the same" from last year, with the new price tag accounting for inflation and increased construction costs.

"We had a facilities assessment completed since the last referendum, and have identified a few capital maintenance projects that have been included in the new referendum amount," noted Krapp.

With passage of the bond issue, the district would be able to do the following building improvements:

• Additional classroom space

• New front entrance with enhanced security features

• A new library/media center and music room

• Upgrades to the student commons area

• Parking lot renovations for a separate bus loop, staff parking, and parent drop-off area, and

• Capital maintenance repairs

Krapp said that the new plan addresses additional areas of concern, such as the purchase and installation of new windows for the existing elementary building and ice dam/roof edge repair, which would amount to about $100,000 of the total project.

The present P-B Elementary building has functioned without need of repair or remodeling for 60 years, but the original school structure dates to 1908 and is in need of significant renovations to meet code, safety and ADA accessibility standards.

The old school, which functions as an annex, houses the Pre-K and kindergarten, and is used by elementary students to go back and forth from music classes.

"However, this budget does not account for addressing issues related to space adequacy, ongoing maintenance requirements, and the building's century-old condition," she added, saying that for the estimated $1.5 million cost of annex repair, making those changes to a 115-year-old building is not feasible.

Krapp says that the P-B board has examined the district's financial situation, and has carefully considered all available options to address critical building needs that "are not going away."

"Our staff has done the best we can, using every square inch of our buildings to create effective learning spaces for our students," said Krapp. "The identified projects will allow us to better serve our current students, and generations of Thunder families to come."

Two community informational sessions on the $5.1 million referendum will be held on Thursday, November 9, at the P-B Elementary lunchroom, and on Tuesday, November 28, at the PBHS lunchroom in Pingree.

The district website, http://www.pingree-buchanan.k12.nd.us, includes a page dedicated to the project, including a tax calculator which will allow district residents to see the tax impact of the proposed bond.

Questions about the project can be completed on an online form at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/bnvFWQ3iTT. Those who wish to post their queries via their smartphone can do so via a provided QR code at the school's site.

Questions can also be answered by contacting Krapp directly via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 701-252-5563, or Elementary Principal Terrie Neys at [email protected] or 701-252-4653.

(Editor's Note: The online version of this article has been updated from what was published in the print edition, to reflect clarifications that the P-B school district wishes to highlight. The list of corrected points will appear in the November 13 Independent.)