School District of Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan: 2024 Referendum Project Updates

Referendum Approved—Thank You!

Thank you for your support! On November 5, 2024, voters in the School District of Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan supported both an operational and capital referendum question. These investments in the district will serve the community and students both today and in years to come, and residents will not see an increase to the tax mill rate.

The School District of Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan staff, administration, and Board of Education extend sincere appreciation to the community for their support, and for exercising their right to vote. These referendum plans reflect the priorities of taxpayers and meet the needs of our students.

Referendum Recap

Our comprehensive facilities plan is Fiscally Responsible + Community Driven.

Question 1 asks for authorization to exceed the revenue limit by $745,000 per year for four years, starting with the 2024-2025 school year and ending with the 2027-2028 school year to maintain current District programs and services and address key facility maintenance projects.

The operational referendum will:

• maintain current District programs and services, including:
  • small class sizes
  • individualized support for students through multi-leveled systems of support
• address high priority capital maintenance needs districtwide to maintain schools and improve safety and security for students and families including:
  • maintenance on areas of roofing at the Jr/Sr high school that are beyond their service life and need to be replaced
  • replacement of the 50+ year old gym floor
  • upgrades to the elementary HVAC system
  • updates to the elementary playground to improve safety and accessibility
  • technology infrastructure updates to meet current demands and ensure all classrooms have adequate access to support student learning.

Question 2 asks for authorization to borrow up to $2,910,000 to renovate and add onto Lincoln Elementary school. This additional space will support a childcare center.

The capital referendum will:

• renovate and add onto Lincoln Elementary school to support a childcare center with the capacity to host 96 children. After engaging with numerous groups of community members, including childcare providers, the District learned that there is a dire need for additional childcare in Jackson County.

Due to careful financial planning by the District, approval of BOTH of these referendum questions will not increase the tax mill rate over current levels!

FEMA

The School District of Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan applied, and has been shortlisted, to receive a FEMA grant to assist in funding the childcare center addition at Lincoln Elementary School. This grant is estimated to reduce the local taxpayer contribution by over $3 million, which is over 40% of the total project cost. The addition will be designed to serve as a storm shelter, should emergency shelter be needed for both the school district and community.  

Design Phases

Following the approval of the referendum question, the architectural design process began for all District-wide projects. The District is working with their design (ISG) and construction (Miron) partners to refine and advance the scope and manage the budget. The design process includes three distinct phases to advance preliminary concepts developed prior to the referendum.

• Schematic Design (SD) – This phase is the first step in the design process and includes District input to drive design and develop drawings that provide definition to interior and exterior functions, space requirements, adjacencies, and overall design intent. 
• Design Development (DD)– Once the building footprint has been confirmed and the team has a plan for interior space definition, we will transition into design development. During the DD phase, design concepts and advanced with precise details including structural design, specific mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems, and cabinetry, fixtures, and material selections are finalized. 
• Construction Documents (CD)– In the final phase of the design process, final drawings and specifications used to construct the building, will be produced. All building components and defined in detail. These documents are used in the competitive bid process.

Design and Construction Updates

Updates on the community-approved referendum projects will be shared throughout the design and construction process. Please visit this page regularly to stay up to date on these important projects.

For more information, please contact Drew Semingson, Superintendent, at 715-964-1363, [email protected], or visit the District website at https://www.lincolnhornets.org/.