Question 2 Projects

West Fargo Public Schools receives five-year projections from demographer firm RSP & Associates each spring. 

In the report from February 2024, RSP projected that WFPS would have 13,282 learners in the Fall of 2024; our official count as of September 30, 2024, was 13,206. This is within 99.4% of projections, which gives the district a high degree of confidence in the projections provided through the 2028-29 school year.   

In 1973, the state legislature froze the boundaries between the Fargo and West Fargo School Districts, which means that redistricting would require legislative action. It would also be important to note that if the legislature did authorize the movement of all Fargo addresses back to Fargo Schools, WFPS would lose a large, and quite profitable, portion of our existing tax base.

Building a school costs more than constructing residential properties due to differences in design standards, safety requirements, and construction complexity:

1. Stricter Building Codes: Schools must adhere to more rigorous building codes than residential properties. These codes are designed to ensure the safety of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of learners and staff. For example, schools must adhere to higher seismic, wind, and fire safety standards.

2. Life Safety Requirements: Public schools are required to include enhanced safety features, such as fire suppression systems, emergency lighting, multiple exits, and specialized ventilation systems. They also need accessible designs to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements, which can significantly increase costs.

3. Durability: School buildings must endure high levels of daily use. Floors, walls, and fixtures need to be made of materials that are more durable and easier to maintain compared to those used in homes. This increases both material and labor costs.

4. Specialized Spaces: Unlike residential properties, schools need spaces like gyms, science labs, libraries, and cafeterias. These require specialized design and equipment, such as reinforced structures, advanced HVAC systems, and expensive lab-grade materials.

5. Construction Scale and Complexity: Schools are large, complex facilities with extensive plumbing, electrical, and IT systems to support large groups of people. This complexity often results in higher construction costs compared to residential buildings, which typically have simpler designs.

These factors collectively make public school construction more expensive but ensure a safe, durable, and functional learning environment for all. 

Meadowlark Elementary was constructed to fit within the capacity available at Liberty MS and Sheyenne HS for all their feeder schools. If Meadowlark would have been built as a four-track school instead of a three-track, that would have eventually resulted in boundary adjustments between feeders because not all learners would fit. That is why Aurora Elementary, a four-track school, was moved to the Horace feeder and Meadowlark was assigned to the Sheyenne feeder. 

West Fargo Public Schools gathered community input prior to our bond referendum votes in 2011 and 2015. Discussion on the size of our schools was a major part of the process and included community groups comprised of parents, teachers, community leaders, and other members of the public. The groups reviewed a broad range of issues related to school size, including the concept of neighborhood schools; walk zones and effects to busing; traffic impacts; cafeteria, gymnasium, and other common spaces; and opportunities for learners. The consensus of these groups has reaffirmed the decisions to construct elementary schools for no more than approximately 550 learners, middle schools for no more than approximately 1,200 learners, and high schools for no more than approximately 1,550 learners. 

Similar to previous referendums, the projects will be staggered over time, with construction expected to span roughly six years, if all questions are approved. The district will access funds as needed for each project, resulting in a more gradual tax increase for taxpayers as funds are drawn to cover ongoing construction costs. 

While Horace Elementary is at capacity, the other elementary schools (Aurora, Deer Creek, and Legacy) within the Hawks feeder system are not. The operational capacity across the four elementary schools in the Hawks feeder system is 2,070 learners. According to our demographer, that feeder system will reach 2,028 learners in the 2028-29 school year, which is the final year of our five-year projection model. Because capacity exists within the feeder system, the district will adjust boundaries to best utilize all existing space before asking the taxpayers to fund more space. This is why the new elementary school is not included in the immediate needs plan.     

The district annually reports enrollment based on the date of September 30, which is used by the state for reporting and funding. While all grades experience in- and out-migration of learners throughout the year, our preschool program is by far the most volatile. Per state law, children can enroll into the ECSE program immediately upon turning three, which means ECSE experiences significant growth throughout the year as children in the community age into the program. Here are recent examples of the growth we’ve experienced over the course of a school year:

• 2021-22 school year: 159 PK learners in September and 225 in May.
• 2022-23 school year: 162 PK learners in September and 248 in May.
• 2023-24 school year: 177 PK learners in September and 254 in May.
• 2024-25 school year: 177 PK learners in September; projecting 240 in February. 

The maximum capacity for the Early Childhood Center was set several years ago at 320. Since that time, the programming offered in that building has changed, effectively decreasing the space available for ECSE programming. Unfortunately, those programming changes were not passed along to our demographer for the updating of their report. We will ensure that happens for the next report.

• Question 1 adds capacity for 300 learners to Heritage MS, 500 learners to Horace HS, and eight classrooms for early childhood special education learners.  With the addition of extra gym(s) and fine arts space, it is more complicated than simply counting additional classrooms at the secondary level. 

• Question 2 adds capacity for up to 552 elementary learners, based on 24 classrooms, and another eight classrooms for early childhood special education learners.   

The district’s commitment to equitable facilities is guided by our strategic plan and are relative to the standards of our newer buildings rather than individual leadership changes. When we undertake facility upgrades, we assess core elements such as safety, accessibility, classroom learning environments, and essential infrastructure to ensure all schools, regardless of age, align with modern educational standards.

At this time, we believe the 2025 bond would bring all schools up to the district’s current standards and we do not have a list of other improvements that would rise to the level of expense needing to be included in a special election.