Election Day: November 3, 2026

We listened and responded. All students in grades PK-4 will have a school in Sumner and Fredericksburg, and we will keep and invest in Fredericksburg Elementary School (FES) to ensure this is the case.We will also utilize FES to support powerful learning for students in our new, career-connected No Boundaries Northeast program for our 8th grade students, as well as the headquarters of our Future Frontiers program, which is already bringing back students we had lost and bringing in new students from our region.In addition, the Sumner campus will make significant improvements with the closing of Durant as an attendance center to ensure elementary and high school students have an even better learning environment than any plan previously released.

The plan is in place, and you will already see that we can share details that feel light-years ahead of what we could share in our previous referendum. There is still work to be done as we continue to meet with staff and community for feedback, but we have the plan in place to accurately share with all community members the impact these essential improvements will have on our students for years to come.

The plan is in place, and you will already see that we can share details that feel light-years ahead of what we could share in our previous referendum. There is still work to be done as we continue to meet with staff and community for feedback, but we have the plan in place to accurately share with all community members the impact these essential improvements will have on our students for years to come.

Voices from the school community will play a key role. Teachers, district leaders, and community partners will form a team to visit other schools, iterate on proposed designs, and refine the final facility design that reflects the shared values and student-centered priorities of the SFCSD. Teacher and district leader teams will provide input for every aspect of the design process.

The bond will address essential needs such as modernizing academic spaces, upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and reducing the number of schools we maintain. All of these projects are designed to improve the learning environment at S-F while ensuring wise use of taxpayer dollars.

$11.5 million in existing SAVE (state sales tax) revenue will fund Phase I of the facility proposal and it will not impact property taxes. Projects include secure entryways, HVAC updates, Music and Art Room renovations, modernized CTE spaces, and upgraded special education suites. Roof repairs will also happen at the middle school campus.

Phase II utilizes up to $16.3 million in general obligation bonds to fund:A new elementary and early elementary center at the main campus in Sumner, allowing age separation and the retirement of Durant Elementary as an attendance center.A new two-story high school academic wing housing Ag, Science, FCS, Business, general education classrooms, and a student learning/media center.Site improvements, playground spaces, parking, and HVAC upgrades.

Phase III represents long-term facility stewardship. The district will continuously reinvest about $500,000 in annual SAVE revenue to fund routine interior updates, furniture replacements, HVAC updates, and ongoing preventive maintenance without requesting additional bond revenue.

By combining $11.5 million in existing SAVE funds with G.O. bond revenue, the district avoids placing the entire financial burden for this work on local property owners and taxpayers. Additionally, retiring Durant as an attendance center generates substantial annual operational savings in maintenance, utilities, and staffing overhead that will be redirected back into classrooms and learning.

The maximum tax impact would be $2.70 per $1,000 of taxable property value. For a home assessed at $200,000, this equates to approximately $216.44 per year, or about $18.04 per month.For a $300,000 commercial property, the estimated impact would be $544.86, or about $45.40 per month.​​Based on the average assessed value per county, the annual tax impact for agricultural property in Bremer County would be $2.91 per acre, $3.02 per acre in Chickasaw County, and $3.10 per acre in Fayette County.More information is available in the Tax Impact section.

Because a fire destroyed our bus barn, the district will receive about $1.5 million in insurance proceeds. The district must spend these funds within a 24-month window or risk forfeiting them.Location Rationale: Placing the facility in Fredericksburg is not fiscally responsible because two-thirds of our student transportation routes begin and end in Sumner. Building in Sumner would save on operations and fuel costs.Land Availability & SAVE Funds: Recent state property tax legislation redirected 25% of SAVE funds to property tax relief by 2031. Because this law was passed after our district issued SAVE bonds, credit rating agencies placed 112 Iowa school districts on negative credit watch. Fortunately, our district had $2.5 million in SAVE cash reserves, which we utilized as a “down payment” to protect our SAVE bond standing. However, utilizing these reserves meant we no longer had cash to buy new land.The Solution: The district-owned Durant site allows us to create a maintenance facility within the required 24-month window, capture the insurance funds, and avoid purchasing new land. Durant’s academic wings will be torn down, and portions of the facility will be used for a bus barn and maintenance facility if it is the least expensive option and maximizes the use of our insurance funds.

Compared with neighboring districts and members of the North Iowa Cedar League (NICL), 13 school districts have a tax levy rate for fiscal year 2027 higher than SFCSD's.Of the districts with levy rates higher than SFCSD, Hudson, Denver, Jesup, Grundy Center, Dike-New Hartford, Aplington-Parkersburg, East Marshall, and Gladbrook-Reinbeck have all passed bond referendums since 2020.

By acting now, we can address our needs and allow our schools to better accommodate our enrollment and provide students with a learning environment that will meet their needs for generations to come.Delaying the proposed bond referendum projects will lead to higher costs later due to inflation, rising material and labor costs, and other factors.

Yes, an existing bond that was issued to construct the new gymnasium and activity facilities will be retired in 2030, along with its debt service of $0.38 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

Shall the Board of Directors of the Sumner-Fredericksburg Community School District in the Counties of Bremer, Chickasaw, and Fayette, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $16,300,000 to construct, build, furnish, and equip additions to the High School building; and to remodel, repair, and improve the existing High School, Middle School, and Fredericksburg Elementary buildings, including playground, parking, and site improvements?

The election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and polling locations can be found on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.More voting information is available on the How to Vote section.

Yes. Registered voters may request a mailed absentee ballot ahead of election day through their county auditor’s office. The first day voters can request a mailed absentee ballot is August 25. Ballots will be mailed starting October 14.To receive a mailed absentee ballot, complete a request form and return it to your auditor’s office. The deadline to request a mailed ballot is October 19. Ballots must be received by your auditor’s office before the polls close on election day (November 3) to be considered for counting.