Information about the 2024 Abbotsford referendum

You may have seen recent Tribune Phonograph articles regarding the School District of Abbotsford’s upcoming capital referendum. On December 18, 2023, the Abbotsford School Board voted to approve a resolution to go to referendum on Tuesday, April 2. The referendum, amounting to $17 million, will address three key areas: accommodating growth, enhancing safety and security measures, and updating aging infrastructure.

Here’s how we reached this decision. Our administrative team held numerous discussions throughout the 2022-2023 school year to assess our building needs. We then organized listening sessions for staff and the community in the spring of 2023 to gather feedback. Community members actively participated in these discussions, contributing to refining our focus areas during meetings held in July. Following this, a community survey conducted in the fall of 2023 revealed significant support for the proposed $17 million plan, prompting the Board to move forward with the referendum.

The timing of these projects is opportune because existing debt from the 2007 referendum will begin falling off next year. The District has proactively paid off the debt ahead of schedule, thereby minimizing interest costs. When we promoted the 2022 referendum, we projected the 2021-2022 mill rate to remain flat at $9.72. However, our actual mill rate over the past two years has ranged between $0.80 to $1.04 lower than projected. Our current mill rate of $8.92 is projected to remain flat if the referendum passes due to the existing debt falling off. In other words, the 2024 referendum is anticipated to have no impact on future mill rates.

Over the past three years, we’ve kept a close eye on rising enrollment and our existing debt situation. Our enrollment has grown from 667 to 837 students over the last 15 years. While we added seven elementary and two middle school classrooms during the 2018 and 2023 projects, the high school has yet to see any expansion to accommodate this growth, leading us to repurpose various storage areas and computer labs into classrooms throughout the building. Additionally, since we built our current kitchen in 2009, we’ve experienced an increase of over 1,500 meals served per week, putting a strain on our kitchen and freezer space. The plan includes adding six classrooms to the middle/high school and two to the elementary school to accommodate the enrollment growth. We also intend to expand the freezer space and the kitchen area. Some may wonder why we didn’t anticipate the need for additional classrooms during the construction of the FEMA addition in 2023. The answer lies in leveraging available resources, including budget allocations, grants, donations, and a previously approved $1.5 million referendum, without impacting the mill rate. We knew waiting until 2024, when debt would fall off, would be a more feasible time to address these needs. Enhancing safety and security measures is another focal point. We prioritize the well-being of our students and staff and aim to remain at the forefront of school safety in our area. Plans include relocating the middle/high school office to the current library location to facilitate a two-stage secure main entry.

Visitors would be granted access to the office area by buzzing in, signing in, and then buzzing again to access the rest of the building, thereby enhancing security protocols.

Additionally, we plan to update our current public address system to ensure clear communication during emergencies, as our current system does not work correctly in all building areas. The current library will be relocated to the courtyard, designed to include private learning areas for distance learning classes and to enhance access to higher learning courses. It will also be modernized to align with today’s learning environments.

The referendum will address the need to update aging infrastructure concerns as well. The main building for the middle/high school, constructed in 1965, requires attention. The water mains exhibit rust, requiring water flushing in some areas until it clears up. These same water mains supply water to the pool, resulting in rust stains at the bottom of the recently renovated pool. The original North Gym HVAC and pool ventilation systems need replacement. It’s crucial to replace the pool system to prevent rust formation on stainless steel caused by inadequate venting of chloramines, a chlorine byproduct. Additionally, five middle/high school boilers are nearing the end of their operational life and require replacement. Plans also include updating the plumbing in the original restrooms, enhancing ADA accessibility, and implementing various upgrades such as greenhouse updates, improved ventilation in the welding area, enhancements in the technology education/agriculture shop, and consolidating technology servers.

Expanding the east parking lot of the middle/high school and adding 57 additional parking spaces is also part of the plan. With parking becoming increasingly scarce, especially during events, and with more students driving to school, this expansion will alleviate congestion and enhance safety during peak traffic times.

I encourage everyone to get out and vote on Tuesday,April 2. There will be multiple opportunities to learn more about the plan and address any questions. Please consider attending one of our Community Open House sessions scheduled for March 7 or March 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the middle/high school commons.

Enter through the fitness center entry, Door Z. Additionally, I’ll be hosting three “Coffee with the Superintendent” events on March 8 at 11:30 a.m. at the Abbyland Travel Center, March 13 at 9 a.m. at the Medo’s Family Style Restaurant, and March 18 at 9 a.m. at the Abby Cafe.

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