Pawlenty’s bonding proposal includes $24 million for new Red Lake Middle School

Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty last week announced he will include $24 million in his 2005 bonding proposal for construction of a new Red Lake Middle School. The project is the second phase in the district’s master plan, which describes facility improvements across the school district.

“Because of a variety of unique challenges, the Red Lake District does not have the resources necessary to construct a desperately-needed middle school. As a state, we must step up and make sure these students are provided for.”

An unexpected spurt in student enrollment has resulted in overcrowding at Red Lake’s schools. While funding for school facilities has historically been viewed as a primarily local responsibility, the Red Lake School District has extremely low property values and very little private ownership of land as most of the land is owned in common by Tribal members. Even with state assistance through the debt service equalization program, the district cannot fund capital projects through local levies.

The new school will be constructed on a site leased from the Red Lake Tribal Council. The site is large enough to accommodate future construction. In 2002, the Legislature appropriated $12.5 million to begin additions and renovations to the high school, two elementary schools, and early childhood classrooms.

The project was ranked second on the list of the Minnesota Department of Education bonding requests. In his 2004 bonding proposal, the Governor recommended $22.1 million in bonding for the project.