In November of 2019, ISD 728 asked residents to approve an operating referendum totalling approximately $223 million ($110 million for operating AND a $113,000,000 bond).  

The Strategic efforts involved thousands of residents over an 18 month period, and was directly based on community recommendations presented to the District through meetings and input from thousands of residents, which helped form the District’s newest Strategic Plan. (ISD 728 Strategic Plan).

The referendum was strongly supported by residents of our ISD 728 communities. The funding set the District’s course for a decade of learning through a consolidation of levies and a bevy of construction projects across the cities served by ISD 728, which unfolded from 2019 to present day, with more projects on tap for the near future. 
A video overview of the 2019 referendum was produced and published to YouTube. That can be viewed by clicking on the image below. 

 

Election Results:

Local voters approved both ISD 728 (Elk River, Rogers, Zimmerman) requests for increased school funding in the Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 election: 

• Question 1 passed 56.5% yes to 43.5% no. The increase in the operating levy will be used to fund school materials, student support and academic programs: (unofficial results: 5,901 yes votes, 4.542 no votes). Examples of how the funding will be used include:

  • Supporting struggling students.
  • Maintaining class sizes.
  • Supporting student mental health.
  • Updating curriculum and other classroom materials.
  • Improving career and technical programs for students.
     
• Question 2 passed 62.7% yes to 37.3% no. The bond funding will help address enrollment growth, deferred maintenance needs, flexible learning spaces and facility inequities (unofficial results: 6,546 yes votes, 3,900 no votes). Funds will be used to:
  • Build a middle school to address enrollment growth. 
  • Address deferred maintenance needs across ISD 728, such as roofs, HVAC systems and parking lots, to maintain the community’s investment in our schools.
  • Update indoor physical education and outdoor athletic facilities at all three traditional high schools to ensure they are equitable and adequate for students across the district.
  • Create more flexible learning spaces across the district and at all levels to support different student learning styles.

Timeline of Projects 

As of summer 2026, we enter the seventh full year of construction, with major projects like the construction of Prairie View Middle School, stadium improvements (turf fields, entrances, restrooms and concessions), flexible learning spaces and more now complete. Over the last several construction seasons nearly EVERY building has seen benefits of this massive bond referendum. 

The Board, as well as the public, was shown this slide presentation in Fall of 2025, which showed dozens of improvements and some eye-opening 'before and after' slides from sites around our communities. 

This flyer, also given to the Board and the public, lists the many projects yet to come, including multiple planned improvements at Meadowvale Elementary; physical education space improvements at Rogers Elementary; IT wing and gym space improvements at Salk Middle School and bathroom, classroom and flex learning spaces at Zimmerman Middle/High School. 

"The work we've done across our communities benefits all students, and we will continue to focus on equity and modernization across ISD 728 throughout the last years of this project. That's what our voters asked of us, and that's what we have promised," said Andy Almos, Superintendent of ISD 728.