FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY NOW?
For more than 100 years, Oakes Public Schools has served generations of students and families. The original high school building opened in 1920, and over time the facility has expanded to meet the needs of the community.
Today, however, several important building systems have reached the end of their useful life, creating challenges that affect daily school operations, safety, and efficiency.
To better understand these issues and identify possible solutions, the district began a facility evaluation process in 2025.
A Community-Driven Process
The district worked with community members and outside experts to carefully review the condition of school facilities and identify priorities.
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Engaging ICON Architectural Group to help assess aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance.
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Creating a Community Task Force to review facility conditions and discuss priorities.
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Working with engineering and facility experts to evaluate building systems and infrastructure.
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Hosting community discussions and meetings to gather feedback and guide decision-making.
Through this process, the district and community worked together to develop a focused plan addressing the most urgent facility needs.
Key Facility Challenges
The facility study identified several significant issues within the school building.
Aging HVAC System
The high school heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) system has reached the end of its expected life and is becoming unreliable.
An updated system would:
Improve indoor comfort for students and staff
Improve air quality and ventilation
Increase efficiency and reliability
Undersized Elementary Kitchen
The elementary kitchen is original to the building and too small for current needs, making it difficult to efficiently prepare and serve meals.
Remodeling and expanding the kitchen would:
Improve food preparation and serving efficiency
Better support student nutrition programs
Improve working conditions for staff
A Focused Plan
After reviewing the facility conditions and gathering community input, the Community Task Force identified a $6.3 million base plan designed to address the most immediate needs.
The plan focuses on:
✔ Replacing the high school HVAC system
✔ Remodeling and expanding the elementary school kitchen
This targeted approach allows the district to address the most critical infrastructure issues first while keeping the overall project cost more manageable.
Planning for the Future
Oakes Public Schools plays an important role in the community by supporting students, families, and local pride.
Addressing critical facility needs today helps ensure the district can continue to provide:
Safe learning environments
Reliable building systems
Efficient school operations
Quality educational spaces for future generations
The goal of this plan is simple:
Address urgent facility needs today so Oakes Public Schools can continue serving students and the community for years to come.
UNDERSTANDING TAX IMPACT
Oakes Public Schools Proposed Facility Improvements
Oakes Public Schools is committed to providing clear information so residents can understand how the proposed facility improvements may affect their property taxes.
The estimated tax impact for the proposed improvements is based on the True and Full Value of your property, as shown on your county property tax statement.
Estimated Annual Tax Impact
If approved by voters, the estimated annual tax impact for the proposed $6.3 million project would be approximately:
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$84.70 per year for a home with a True and Full Value of $100,000
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$94.11 per year for $100,000 of agricultural or commercial property
This equals approximately:
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$7.06 per month for a $100,000 residential property
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$7.84 per month for $100,000 of agricultural or commercial property
Your actual tax impact will vary depending on the True and Full Value of your property.
How to Find Your Property’s True and Full Value
Your True and Full Value can be found on your annual county property tax statement.
Look for the section labeled “True and Full Value” on your statement.
In the example shown, the True and Full Value section is highlighted to help residents easily identify where to find this information.
TAX CALCULATOR
OFFICIAL BALLOT
Public meetings
Oakes Public Schools will be hosting a series of Community Informational Meetings to provide residents with information about the upcoming referendum and proposed facility improvements.
These meetings are an opportunity for community members to:
Learn more about the proposed project
Review facility needs and proposed improvements
Ask questions and receive additional information
All meetings will be held in the Oakes School Gymnasium.
Meeting Schedule
Public Meeting #1
Wednesday, May 13
6:00 PM
Oakes School Gymnasium
Public Meeting #2
Tuesday, May 26
6:00 PM
Oakes School Gymnasium
Final Public Meeting
Tuesday, June 2
6:00 PM
Oakes School Gymnasium
Community members are encouraged to attend any of the meetings to learn more about the proposed improvements and ask questions.
Providing accurate information and hearing from community members is an important part of the district’s planning process.
voting information
The school bond referendum vote will take place on:
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Polling locations vary depending on your county of residence. Please review the locations and polling hours listed below.
Dickey County
Oakes Armory
124 5th Street S
Oakes, ND 58474
OR
Ellendale Church of the Nazarene
112 5th St N
Ellendale, ND 58436
Polling Hours: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Ransom County
Ransom County Expo Center
612 7th Ave W
Lisbon, ND 58054
OR
Enderlin City Auditor Office
411 Railway St
Enderlin, ND 58027
Polling Hours: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sargent County
Forman City Hall
349 Main St S
Forman, ND 58032
Polling Hours: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
LaMoure County
Edgeley National Guard Armory
508 1st Ave W
Edgeley, ND 58433
OR
Bank North Mall – Community Room
100 1st Ave SW
LaMoure, ND 58458
Polling Hours: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Oakes Community Facilities Taskforce
Matt Hill
Leroy Meehl
Marc Roney
Chris Schmit
Jordan Lynch
Greg Dobtiz
Shannon Jepson
Anna Sell
Patti Kelly
Brian Seyer
Bobby Knodel
Dave Ehrlin
Kyle Gerner
Scott German
Jonh Bakke
Kelli Gebhardt
Larry Engel
Drew Courtney
Judy Hoffman