White Bear Lake Area Schools Bond Referendum Passes
Voters in the White Bear Lake Area School District approved a $326 million building bond request to address building needs across the district by a margin of 57.4% yes to 42.6% no (unofficial results: 8,536 yes votes, 6,336 no votes).
Election Results
Building Our Future
Building Bond 2019 Referendum Information
On November 5, White Bear Lake Area School District residents will vote whether to provide funding for building needs across the district. If approved, the bond funding would provide space for our growing enrollment, improve school safety and security, address deferred maintenance needs and update classrooms for more flexible learning spaces.
Bond Referendum Public Meeting Presentation
Bond Referendum Public Meetings
Materials shared at the Bond Referendum Public Meetings that took place on Sept. 24, Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 can be found below:
Frequently Asked Questions
- See a video of Dr. K answering some FAQs
- How was the plan built?
- How will the plan be implemented?
- What is a summary of the plan?
- What was the timeline for the Facilities process?
- Where would students go to school during construction?
- Why is the bond so large?
- Is there anything in the plan that can wait?
- How has the district informed the community about the bond referendum?
- Can Hugo be its own district?
- Have any community organizations expressed support for the bond?
- Why didn’t the committee decide to stick with status quo?
- Is Open Enrollment the cause of the projected increased enrollment?
- When and where can I vote?
- How many years is the bond debt scheduled for?
- How will I benefit if I don’t have children in the district?
- Elementary-specific questions
- High School-specific questions
- Rumor vs. Reality
See a video of Dr. K answering some FAQs
How was the plan built?
How will the plan be implemented?
What is a summary of the plan?
What was the timeline for the Facilities process?
Where would students go to school during construction?
Why is the bond so large?
Is there anything in the plan that can wait?
How has the district informed the community about the bond referendum?
Can Hugo be its own district?
Have any community organizations expressed support for the bond?
Why didn’t the committee decide to stick with status quo?
Is Open Enrollment the cause of the projected increased enrollment?
When and where can I vote?
How many years is the bond debt scheduled for?
How will I benefit if I don’t have children in the district?
Elementary-specific questions
High School-specific questions
Rumor vs. Reality
Bond Referendum News
Tickets for the district's Middle School Musical, Disney's Descendants: The Musical being performed April 25-27, are now available!
The April 7 issue of the Community e-Newsletter is now available! The publication covers student and staff successes, School Board news, and school and Community Education offerings.
Community members are invited to stop by throughout the academic year for an informal chat with Superintendent Kazmierczak over a cup of coffee.
- Feb. 22, 2024 from 12-1 p.m.
- May 7, 2024 from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
The district’s most recent four-year graduation rate, released today by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), shows White Bear Lake Area Schools topping the state’s graduation rate by 5.7 percentage points, with 89.0% of 2023 seniors earning their diploma within four years.
The 2023 graduation rate at White Bear Lake Area High School - South Campus, which does not include students from the district’s Area Learning Center (ALC) or Transition Education Center (TEC) programs, is 94%. The Area Learning Center’s graduation rate of 73% is the highest ALC rate in the area. This most recent ALC rate is an increase of 9 percentage points over 2022 and 22 percentage points since 2021.
If winter weather is so severe that schools need to close, families will be alerted via phone, email and text to those who have opted in to receiving texts from the district. (Instructions for opt-in here.) The message will be posted on the district's website and social media accounts, and the information will also be available on local media outlets.
The WBLAHS Girls' Basketball team is heading to the State Tournament! The Bears defeated East Ridge in the Section 4AAAA championship game 56-48.
Voting information
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 5, 2019.
Find Polling Place locations by precinct here.
See a Sample Ballot below.
Early Voting
Early voting begins in each of our district's three counties (Ramsey, Washington and Anoka) on September 20, 2019. Find details about Early Voting by county here.
Find absentee ballot applications by county below:
- Anoka County
- Ramsey County
- Washington County
Tax impact
If voters approve the referendum requests, the average homeowner ($275,000 home) would see a tax increase of about $23 per month.
The Residential Home Calculator link on this Property Tax Information Site from Ehlers, the district’s independent municipal advisor, was available to determine the estimated impact of the proposed ballot question on your 2020 taxes.
See a detailed tax impact chart with various property values below.
Compared to neighboring school districts’ voter approved school debt taxes, if the bond referendum is approved, we would still be below the average of other area school districts ($275 per year on a $250,000 home compared to an average of $317 for our neighbors).
Tax Relief Measures
Bond Referendum Materials
Facilities Planning Process
A comprehensive facilities review and planning process kicked off in the fall of 2018 and continued throughout the 2018-19 school year. Find the process documents here.
Contact us
- 651-407-7563, Superintendent's Office
- Bond2019@isd624.org