School referendum approved 862-580

Mark Anderson

Publisher

The Staples-Motley School District has begun the design process after a $42.5 million building referendum was approved by voters on April 14, 2026. After design and planning phases, construction will likely start in 2027.

Official ballot count was 862 yes, 580 no, nearly 60 percent in favor.

“The staff and the students are so thankful and excited for the passing of the referendum,” said Staples-Motley Superintendent Shane Tappe. “We are thankful for the support from our community and the stakeholders to recognize what these improvements will do for our school, our community and our future.”  

The total of 1,442 district residents who voted was more than a thousand fewer than the 2,465 who voted down a referendum in 2021, when 910 votes were in favor and 1,555 against, equaling 63 percent who voted it down.

“I think that the district put together a plan that was driven off of community feedback from the previous referendum,” said Tappe. “The plan was tax neutral which was a very important attribute for the stakeholders.  The plan also addressed the most critical needs in the district and is a very well rounded plan where it addresses many important areas including: Safety and Security, Deferred Maintenance, CTE spaces, Auditorium, Activity Areas, and General education spaces that meet today’s standards.”

The referendum question was favored by Todd County and Wadena County voters, but disapproved by Morrison County and Cass County voters. 

Todd had 410 yes and 267 no, Wadena was 303 yes and 85 no, Cass was 83 yes and 123 no, Morrison was 66 yes and 105 no.

There were 546 absentee ballots, which made up 38 percent of all voters. The early voting period that was done at the District Office is considered absentee ballots. April 14 live voting saw 896 people at the polls.

The district had 7,078 registered voters to start, 30 new voters registered on election day, meaning around 20 percent of registered voters participated in this election.

The election asked voters to approve funding for classroom updates, safety and security improvements, Career and Technical Education (CTE) expansions and priority building repairs across the district. The plan will also direct funds to updates to the Centennial Auditorium, football field and outdoor track.

The planning phase includes finalizing project timelines, coordinating with architects and construction partners and communicating next steps with staff, parents and residents. Construction is anticipated to be phased over multiple years to minimize disruption to students and school operations.

Auditorium updates planned for this summer are not related to the referendum, but stem from work by the Auditorium Committee. They are planning on putting in an extended “thrust stage.” They have fundraised and received grant dollars to make the thrust stage project happen this summer.

When construction starts, possibly in May of 2027, the first portions will likely be the building additions: 5th grade, CTE space, and a new front entrance for the middle/high school adjacent to the school cafeteria.

For more information about the bond referendum and upcoming construction, visit SpreadingOurWings.org, the school’s web site that will keep people updated on the building process.

“The staff and students have shared on numerous occasions how appreciative they are that this passed and we can get our spaces aligned with todays standards,” said Tappe. “We can’t say enough how important these changes are for our kids, staff and our programs. There is a lot of excitement and appreciation in Cardinal Country.”