Please Vote on or before April 8

EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

Our school is the center of our community. It is a point of pride. It’s a focal point for all that is great about Osakis. The Smart. Safe. Strong. Osakis School Referendum 2025 will address classroom learning needs, along with safety and security and enable us to live our mission:

“Collaborating with our community to create safe, effective learning environments with educational opportunities for all students.”

The school board unanimously agreed to ask voters to consider a single question referendum during a special election on April 8, 2025. Specifically:

“Shall the school board of Independent School District No. 213 (Osakis Public Schools) be authorized to issue its general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $32,600,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction of secure entrances; renovations and upgrades to the career and technical education classrooms and lab; the construction and equipping of a new auditorium, band room, two-court event gymnasium and walking track; the decommissioning of the existing auditorium and gymnasium; and the construction of parking lot expansions and improvements?”

The Smart. Safe. Strong. Osakis School Referendum 2025 is dramatically different from the last proposal in that it is focused on classroom/learning needs and security/safety needs.

We Heard You!

We have heard and understand residents’ feedback concerning the 2023 referendum. We have conducted community engagement opportunities and adjusted our approach accordingly. We have designed the 2025 “Smart, Safe, Strong” referendum to meet clearly identified space and security needs of shared concern throughout the community while omitting elements that lack consensus support.

The result, we think, is a bond referendum that will maintain our growing district’s position as a high-achieving school system committed to judiciously managing the community’s financial resources to provide the best possible learning environment in preparing our young people for success.

Good News

Osakis Public School continue to generate good news in fiscal management, academic performance and innovative approaches to student learning.

Our financial rating from S&P Global is A+.
Independent auditors report that the Osakis School is more than $200,000 ahead of last year’s budget.
Osakis High School earned a spot in the top 20% of Minnesota high schools, according to US News and World Report’s 2022-23 rankings.
We continue to launch new learning and career readiness opportunities, including the Silverstreak Merchandising Lab, where students learn about business management, accounting, supply chains and marketing in a fully functioning screenprint business.

Dear Osakis Community Members:

Osakis Public School keeps expanding, drawing families to our high-quality educational program.

While our academic program and results are strong, our instructional spaces are no longer adequate for key areas of learning, such as Career and Technical Education (CTE). And while we have made safety and security enhancements, other concerns remain.

The school needs more classroom space, improved safety and security. CTE, music, physical education and special education classrooms are short on space, elementary classrooms are near capacity, and student safety needs improvement at drop-off and pick-up time. Some of our facilities are old, inaccessible, impractical, and wrong-sized; for example, the 80-year-old auditorium. Security is compromised during public events as spaces can’t be cordoned off from the rest of the school.

The “Smart, Safe, Strong” referendum focuses on instruction, not athletics. We unanimously approved a one-question bond referendum that would provide funds for new instructional space, allowing us to repurpose other instructional space to better meet student needs, and enhance safety and security. This keeps our students under one roof in the heart of Osakis.

Be an informed voter

Thank you for taking the time to read this brochure about the current situation and future needs. Come to one of our upcoming Community Referendum Meetings, or contact Superintendent Justin Dahlheimer at:

320-859-2191 or email at jdahlheimer@osakis.k12.mn.us.

You may vote on or before Election Day, April 8.

Osakis Public School Board of Education

Michael Collins, Chairperson
Corey Goodwin, Vice-Chairperson
Amy Weisser, Clerk
Jeff Kalpin, Treasurer
Greg Faber, Director
Tricia Mages, Director

Community Benefits

It also would benefit the entire community through construction of a new auditorium and a gym/fitness center offering community access. The referendum would address safety and security concerns by providing a safer drop-off site for students and separating and securing public entrances to the auditorium, gymnasium and band room from the rest of the school.

Student pick-up occurring in the street.

Facility Challenges

At the same time – as many students, staff and parents know – Osakis School faces facility challenges and limitations that require community support and financing to resolve. Details are available elsewhere on our website, but, in short, the “Smart, Safe, Strong” referendum would provide much-needed instructional space, particularly for Career Technical Education.

Special Education conducted in the hallway.

Osakis Public School
Referendum 2025

Osakis School Unofficial Election Results

Please Vote on or before April 8