Our Challenges
Solving Today's Needs to Prevent Tomorrow's Problems
We work hard to balance our budget with state funding. The district prioritizes funding for educational programming, student support services, and critical building needs. But with the rising costs of education, construction, and what it takes to keep a school running, our budget has grown tighter, and large investments—like replacing roofs, HVAC, and district vehicles—have been delayed.
As part of our ongoing facilities assessments, we identified repairs, replacements, and upgrades to important systems to maintain our buildings, keep our vehicle fleet current, and support our students through technology equipment and staffing. These needs are bigger than the budget we have available.
If we do not address these challenges now, we will face more expensive repairs as these systems begin to fail and the cost to replace them continues to grow.
Pine River-Backus Schools is seeking voter-approved funding for these capital projects this April to balance investments in upgrading and maintaining our buildings, transportation and technology systems while protecting the great education students receive in our district for years to come.
Our challenges include:
Aging Roofs:
Roofing systems are beginning to exceed their 20-year lifespan and pose a risk of potential water leaks and damage to the building structure.
Deteriorating Windows:
Worn and aging windows and sealant joints impact temperature control, energy efficiency, and maintenance costs.
Outdated and Inefficient HVAC Systems:
Multiple heating, cooling, and ventilation units are nearing or exceeding their 15 to 20-year lifespan. Several areas in the building require enhanced humidity controls to maintain the best indoor air quality.
Building Exterior:
Areas require tuckpointing to stop moisture from getting into the building, prevent further deterioration, and extend the life of the building.
Door Replacement:
Aging and damaged doors need to be replaced and would enhance accessibility, safety, and security.
Technology:
Stable funding to support technology equipment and programs.
Deteriorating Floors and Asbestos Abatement:
Some elementary and high school flooring is beyond its life expectancy, creating ongoing maintenance challenges and safety concerns.
Aging Vehicle Fleet:
Replace and maintain buses and passenger vans.
Districts across the state rely on local voter-approved funding to support their schools
The State of Minnesota provides a majority of funding to all public K-12 schools. However, due to inflation and new state mandates for how some funding must be spent, this funding alone isn’t enough to cover the full costs of education for our students.
Over 70% of school districts in Minnesota have voter-approved operating levies to help close the gap in funding and ensure their schools have the resources they need.
Pine River-Backus does not have a voter-approved operating levy.
