The Grafton School District is growing!  Enrollment has grown every year since 2021, corresponding to the increase in housing starts within the district's boundaries.  With continued new construction in the area, the district is projecting that enrollment will continue to grow over the next few years.  More instructional spaces are needed to accommodate this increase in enrollment.

The $11.14 million referendum would pay for an 8 classroom addition for fifth grade at John Long Middle School.  In addition, the cafeteria would be remodeled and expanded to accommodate more students and other remodeling would repurpose areas of the building for a science classroom and special education learning spaces.

The school portion of tax bills will remain stable.  The district currently has a levy for paying down future debt and strategically maximizing state aid to keep the property tax levy as low as possible.  This levy for future debt payments can be reduced to accommodate the new debt.  The new debt issue will be for a ten year period, at which time both the new debt and the previous referendum debt will be retired.  The 2034 retirement date is four years earlier than originally scheduled when the 2017 referendum was passed.

Investing in the Grafton School District has significant returns for all community members whether or not they have children in the school system. Strong schools create strong communities, which creates strong property values.

Moving fifth grade to JLMS opens up three classrooms at each of the elementary schools which will assist with accommodating the current student population at each school, along with providing spaces for any potential “bubble” classes.  (These are grade levels with more students than can be accommodated in the typical three sections at each building.)  The Board of Education determined in October 2023 that new construction at JLMS and expanding it to a grades 5-8 middle school was the most feasible way to accommodate the growing elementary student population.

The previous 2017 referendum “right-sized” the district and provided sufficient, updated, and safe spaces for the student enrollment at the time, while also resulting in a net savings of over $1,000,000 over the past six years.  In the first four years following the referendum, the district experienced declining enrollment.  It wasn’t until there were repeated years of increased enrollment, from 2021 to the present, with projections for further increases, that there was a need for additional space.

If the referendum passes, construction would begin in the late summer of 2024 and continue throughout the 2024-25 school year.  The new and remodeled spaces would be ready for use at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

The need for more space for our growing student population does not go away if the referendum does not pass. The cost to address this need will only increase over time. If the referendum does not pass, the board will continue working to develop a plan that voters will support.