ISD 728, which serves the communities of Zimmerman, Elk River, Otsego, Rogers, and surrounding areas, is moving forward with a comprehensive bond and levy referendum that officials state will strongly position the District over the next decade.
At its official meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the ISD 728 School Board voted to place the referendum on the ballot this election year. The ballot question – approved by the Department of Education – was approved by the school board at its July meeting, held just last week. The vote to move ahead was approved 6-1, with Mindy Freiberg dissenting. Freiberg said her community of Zimmerman would not be supportive “at this time,” while acknowledging the district needs more space.
The referendum, set for Election Day – Nov. 3, 2026, is the culmination of a yearlong process of community involvement, from a community facilities task force assembled in the Fall of 2025 to a recent survey delivered and evaluated by School Perceptions, Inc., this spring. That process was preceded by months of discussion and research by District staff, in collaboration with the Board’s own facilities committee.
“It has been the goal of the District over the last 25 years to address growth, spending, and student services in the right way, and we have done that thanks to the community support shown by voters in 2014 and 2019,” said Superintendent Andrew Almos. “This decision will be the next phase for our students, staff, and families, securing our schools for the next decade.”
The package, which will be presented on the November ballot, will include:
- A new high school in Otsego built on District-owned land to alleviate overcrowding at Rogers High and address rapid growth in the south end of the District.
- A new early childhood through middle school building built on District-owned land to alleviate overcrowding in Rogers and Otsego elementary and middle schools and address rapid growth in the south end of the District.
- An education center constructed to serve our alternative high school learners, as well as students who require a separate site (setting IV) for highly specialized programming and 18-22 year old transition programming on the site of the current Ivan Sand campus.
- Secured Entrance/Safety updates, including main office relocation at Zimmerman Middle/High School and Rogers Middle School
- Expansion of Hassan Elementary School by adding classrooms to the building.
- Updated Career and Technical Education spaces in Zimmerman, Elk River, and Rogers to continue preparing students for jobs and careers in our communities and beyond.
- Capital Projects Levy to accommodate the increased operating costs of the new buildings.
ISD 728 leaders said without the referendum, a series of impacts would unfold over the next five years, including:
- Redraw boundary lines across ISD 728 community to fix overcrowding, which would be a temporary (five-year) adjustment before the District is once again out of space;
- Dedicate an existing facility for specialized student programs, as an example, a repurposing of Meadowvale Elementary School.
- Use taxpayer/alternative levy funding – at a higher tax impact – to make critical safety updates at Rogers Middle and Zimmerman Middle/High School, relocating offices and updating secured entrances.
- Delay or discard plans to fund improvements for our Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs, leaving students without the modern training and a competitive edge they have had in the local workforce and in our communities. CTE spaces include: auto, manufacturing, engineering, woods, health services, culinary, and DECA (business/entrepreneurship program).
- In short, a “No” vote guarantees district-wide school disruptions, overcrowded buildings, and short-term fixes rather than the long-term stability our community has requested.
“We are grateful for the community involvement to inform these recommendations. From the 30 community members who invested over 200 hours in our 2025 Facilities Task Force, to the 1,500 community respondents in the Task Force Survey, and the nearly 5,000 who provided feedback on our latest proposals with the School Perceptions survey,” said Cory Franson, ISD 728 Director of Community Engagement. “Their vision, input, and feedback were vital in moving the community-informed recommendations to the School Board. We heard loud and clear, we want our neighborhood kids attending neighborhood schools in appropriate learning environments. Additionally, we appreciate the Board for their input and community-informed modifications to a plan they feel is fair and responsible to taxpayers in our District.”
The district said that following community feedback from the recent survey, the school board updated the original proposals to directly lower the tax impact on local families. Under this revised plan, the new high school would be built on the northwestern side of Otsego, just north of Prairie View Middle School’s campus, and would accommodate 1,500 students, with the building infrastructure and mechanical areas designed and built to accommodate a future classroom expansion to meet the forecasted future enrollment of 1,900 students. The E-8 building would be constructed on a parcel owned by the District near the bridge in Dayton, off of River Road and Rawlings Avenue, near the confluence of the Crow and Mississippi rivers.
More information can be found online at ISD728.org/728Strong. The District will host informational sessions with various community groups in the weeks and months ahead. Please contact Feedback@isd728.org for more, or to request a session with District staff.