Referendum

Question 1

Yes - 4,599 (42.18%)

No - 6,304 (57.82%)

Question 2

Yes - 4,234 (39.75%)

No - 6,417 (60.25%)

School Board - Top 3 vote totals are elected

Zachary Blumberg 1,456 5.53%

Kristina Bradley-Khan 3,004 11.41%

Jeney Christensen 3,755 14.27%

Kristina Glas 2,904 11.03%

Kelli Graff 5,341 20.29%

Arden Kjono 872 3.31%

Tim Nanson 2,777 10.55%

Micah Narimani 2,311 8.78%

Stephen Vigesaa 3,817 14.50%

WRITE-IN 83 0.32%

Fergus Falls Voters Say No to Both Referendum Questions

Fergus Falls, MN (November 6, 2024) The Fergus Falls School District faces some tough decisions following the November 5 ballot, in which both bond referendum questions failed.

Question 1 failed with 6,304 (57.82%) voting No and 4,599 (42.18%) voting Yes. Approval of this question would have resulted in a $48.84 million bond levy to build a new school for grades 3-5.

Question 2 failed with 6,417 (60.25%) voting No and 4,234 (39.75%) voting Yes. The $910,000 bond levy would have been used to construct soccer and baseball fields at the new school.

“First, we thank all voters for seeking information and making an informed decision,” stated Fergus Falls Public School Superintendent Jeff Drake. “We respect the community's decision and we will continue to provide the best educational experience and outcomes for each child which our community expects and deserves.”

What These Results Mean

Without the passing of the first bond referendum question, Fergus Falls Public Schools will not be able to construct a new grade 3-5 school at this time.

Superintendent Drake shared his concerns regarding the results of the bond referendum.

“As we noted prior to the election, we do not have the annual operating revenue necessary to maintain our aging facilities,” said Drake. “Because the bond referendum was not approved, the grades 3-5 school will not be constructed. The district will continue to explore options to address our facilities challenges moving forward.”

Common Ground: Children’s Future

School Board Chair Natalie Knutson believes that now that the election is over, a new chapter in the future for students can begin. “Despite this disappointing news, we believe there is common ground in supporting the needs of our children. We will build on that common ground, working together with the community, to determine the best path forward for our facilities,” said Knutson.

Next steps:

District leaders and Fergus Falls School Board members will begin to discuss next steps, physical space and education needs. “The issues that we face with facilities will continue, but it's important to allow the new school board, administration, staff, and community some time to reflect, analyze, and come to consensus on what to do concerning our facilities,” Drake said.

The school district will provide updates to the community throughout the process.