The Emmetsburg Community School District is facing several facility and infrastructure challenges at West Elementary School, with an estimated cost of more than $6 million. The oldest portion of West Elementary was constructed more than 70 years ago. Some of the many identified needs include:

• Upgrades to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems

• Classroom updates, including new floors, fixtures, and paint

• Exterior improvements such as new windows, siding, gutters, and playground drainage

• Safety system enhancements, including fire alarms, the camera system, and the PA system

• Inadequate classroom and storage space

• Parking lot improvements to enhance traffic safety

Music education is currently held in a structure installed in the 1970s as a “temporary” facility. Additionally, West Elementary has one of the smallest playgrounds in northwest Iowa for a school of its size.

After years of evaluation and considering multiple project options, the district has proposed constructing a new 65,000 square-foot elementary school to serve students in grades PK-4 at a new site.

Once a new school is built, the classroom wings at West Elementary would be demolished and repairs would be made to the remaining building's exterior. This would allow the facility, which will remain owned by ECSD, to transition into a rent-generating childcare center through an agreement with the YMCA. No public dollars will be used for a daycare.

The $29.75 million bond measure on the November 2024 ballot had an estimated tax impact of $2.54 per $1,000 of taxable property value. Although it received support from 50.7% of voters, state law requires at least 60% approval to pass.

Following the vote, the district conducted a community survey in January 2025 to gather feedback. Among the most common concerns cited by voters who opposed the bond were the projected cost and property tax increase.

Emmetsburg Community School District’s current debt service levy rate is $1.65 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

• With the proposed increase of $1.59, the maximum proposed debt levy rate is $3.25 per $1,000.

• This is $0.80 lower than the proposal in November of 2024, which was $4.05 per $1,000. This is due to revising the project’s finance plan to include state sales tax funds.

The district explored several potential sites throughout Emmetsburg, including land near the community college, the hospital, and south of College Drive. Ultimately, a 25-acre site was selected based on its size, availability, cost, and proximity to other key facilities in our community.

The new site is undeveloped and relatively flat, which will help reduce site development costs. It offers close access to existing infrastructure (gas, water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer) and is near the middle school and high schools, community college, hospital, and the new walking trail.

The State of Iowa School Building Handbook recommends five acres for a school, plus an additional acre for every 100 students. The existing West Elementary site serves 308 students on four acres.

Some community members have expressed concerns about drainage at the proposed location. State and local regulations require stormwater to be managed onsite, meaning runoff cannot be allowed to worsen conditions for neighbors. A new drainage design would responsibly control stormwater and improve conditions for surrounding properties compared to today.

During construction, the project would follow Iowa Department of Natural Resources requirements, including a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan.

The proposed location east of Iowa Lakes Community College is considered one of the safest in the entire community of Emmetsburg.

If a new elementary school is constructed, the old classroom wings at West Elementary will be demolished and repairs will be made to the building's exterior. This will allow the facility, which will remain owned by ECSD, to be rented and transition into a childcare center through an agreement with the YMCA.

ECSD currently offers before- and after-school care options for elementary students through a partnership with the Spencer YMCA. The YMCA Kids Club program is housed at West and open to all elementary students in the district. It provides structured, supervised care for K-5 students, and activities that include outdoor play, art projects, and games in a safe environment.

Care is available on regular school days, early dismissal days, snow days, and during holiday breaks. Along with the Kids Club, the plan is to eventually have West also be home to all-day daycare services needed in the community.

“This partnership is a major win for our families and our community,” said Superintendent Cory Jenness. “The YMCA Kids Club will support working families by offering dependable, high-quality care where school-age children can safely learn, play, and thrive beyond the school day.”

“Daycare is a critical need in almost every community. My wife and I have raised our family in Emmetsburg, and we now have a grandchild. We understand the critical nature of the problem facing our young families. A shortage of daycare providers has put many families in a very stressful situation. Young families need access to quality daycare as they raise their children," said Rick Brennan, President and Chief Operations Officer of Iowa Trust & Savings Bank. "As a lifetime E-Hawk and supporter, the partnership that was developed between the YMCA and the Emmetsburg CSD will bring some great opportunities to our community. As an employer, this is a tremendous benefit for our existing staff members. As a growing company, this will also help as we recruit staff members to Emmetsburg."

West Elementary has served our community for more than 70 years, but it is not equipped to accommodate 21st century education and technology, and the needs of today’s students.

West was originally designed to house students in grades 1-4, while preschool students were taught at local churches, and kindergarten at Little Red. Today, the school is home to seven grades and three Special Education spaces, meaning it does not serve the same educational purposes that it did for previous generations.

Music education is still taught in an outdated portable building that was placed at the West campus in the 1970s as a “temporary” solution.

Yes. The West Facility Committee, which includes ECSD staff and community members, previously recommended the construction of a new elementary school. This group was tasked with studying the challenges at West and determining a path forward.

Additionally, the district has conducted multiple questionnaires and community surveys, including one in January 2025.

Yes. Registered voters residing within Emmetsburg CSD will may vote on the bond issue on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

If approved by at least 60% of voters, the bond referendum would result in a property tax impact of $1.59 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

For a home assessed at $250,000, the annual tax impact would be approximately $181.00, or $15.08 per month.

→ SEE THE TAX IMPACT SUMMARY

Because of the Homestead rollback and other factors, calculating the property tax impact involves several steps, which are outlined below:

Since 2018, the district’s overall tax rate has remained steady, ranging from $11.85 (2019) to $12.46 (2021-22) per $1,000 of taxable property value.

The current rate of $12.20 is below the projected fiscal year 2026 state average of $13.14, and more than $7 lower than the highest rate in Iowa.

Currently, ECSD's cumulative tax rate of $12.20 per $1,000 of taxable property value ranks 129th out of 328 school districts in Iowa. With an approved bond issue in November, that rate would move to $13.79, which would rank 217th.

Addressing the needs at West Elementary now will ensure students have access to the learning environments and resources they need to engage in 21st-century learning. Delaying the project will lead to higher costs due to inflation, rising material and labor costs, and increasing interest rates.

Additionally, the lack of local daycare has caused Emmetsburg CSD and area businesses to lose potential hires. Repurposing part of West for daycare services is essential to attracting new staff and young families to the community, positively impacting the district’s future enrollment.

This proposed bond would be repaid over 20 years.

ECSD voters will see two public measures on the ballot on November 4, 2025. Both must be approved by at least 60% of voters to move forward with the proposed construction of a new elementary school:

Shall the Board of Directors of the Emmetsburg Community School District in the County of Palo Alto, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $25,620,000, together with proceeds of School Infrastructure Sales, Services, and Use Tax Revenue Bonds, to provide funds to build, furnish, and equip a new elementary school, including site acquisition and site improvements, and for partial demolition of the existing elementary school, and to repair and improve the remaining portion of the existing elementary building, including site improvements.

Shall the Board of Directors of the Emmetsburg Community School District in the County of Palo Alto, State of Iowa, be authorized to levy annually a tax exceeding Two Dollars and Seventy Cents ($2.70) per Thousand Dollars ($1,000), but not exceeding Three Dollars and Twenty-Five Cents ($3.25) per Thousand Dollars ($1,000) of the assessed value of the taxable property within said school corporation to pay the principal of and interest on bonded indebtedness of said school corporation, it being understood that the approval of this public measure shall not limit the source of payment of the bonds and interest, but shall only operate to restrict the amount of bonds which may be issued?

→ SEE A SAMPLE BALLOT

The election will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Polling locations can be found on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections-voting. Additional local election information is available from the Palo Alto County Auditor’s Office.

Eligible voters can register by completing a voter registration form and submitting it to the Palo Alto County Auditor’s Office before election day.

Yes. A valid form of identification is required to vote. Details are available on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.

Yes. Registered voters can request a mailed absentee ballot beginning August 26. Ballots will be mailed starting October 15.

To receive a mailed absentee ballot, complete and return a request form and return it to the Palo Alto County Auditor’s Office by October 20. Ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on election day to be considered for counting.

In-person absentee voting begins October 15 at the Palo Alto County Auditor’s Office, located on the main floor of the courthouse at 1010 Broadway Street in Emmetsburg. Office hours are weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the final day for in-person absentee voting is Monday, November 3.