Bond 2025 Frequently Asked Questions — Vote November 4, 2025

Knowing that we needed to address some facility needs, the district hired OPN Architects to conduct a thorough assessment of all our facilities. The district also convened a community-based committee to review the findings of the assessment and prioritize projects. In 2025, the committee recommended renovations at Lowden Elementary and the Jr/Sr High School because they were the areas of greatest need. Lowden Elementary needs to be improved so it is on par with facilities in Mechanicsville and the secondary school needs additional activity spaces to support fine arts education and extracurricular activities.

The total project cost is $21 million. The district plans to use a combination of sales and property tax revenue to pay for these projects. Neither will result in a property tax levy increase, but both require voter approval.

The vote will be held on November 4, 2025.

The bond will be an investment in updated learning spaces at Lowden Elementary School and multipurpose flexible performance and practice space for the entire district at the Jr./Sr. High School.

Lowden Elementary: Renovating the 75-year-old part of Lowden Elementary School is more expensive than building new. This portion will be replaced with a new two-story structure that will include modern classrooms, a secure office, and spacious cafeteria and kitchen. By replacing the oldest part of the building, Lowden Elementary will be able to learn in newer spaces comparable to those at Mechanicsville Elementary. The project will also replace end-of-life mechanical systems, improve security in the building, and eliminate the need to share classrooms.

Jr./Sr. High School: A new multipurpose activities addition with a full stage will replace the current auditorium, which is too small and does not have the technology to support our fine arts program. When not used for fine arts, it can be used for athletic practices, which will alleviate scheduling issues throughout the district for teams at all ages who struggle to find gym time for practice.

The total project cost is $21 million. The district plans to use a combination of sales and property tax revenue.

Sales Tax: The district will use sales tax funds that come directly from the state for a portion of the project. This will not affect property taxes.

Property Tax: The remainder will be paid for using a general obligation bond of $18.9 million. This will replace a current bond, which paid for the new gymnasium and science and fine arts wing at the Jr/Sr High School and a classroom addition at Mechanicsville. It will not create a tax levy increase.
The district intends to maintain its current tax levy rate of $13.48 per $1,000 of taxable property value, which is one of the lowest in our area.

On November 4, 2025, there will be two questions on the ballot related to funding North Cedar Community School District’s proposed facility plan.

The first question asks for authorization to issue a general obligation bond.
“Shall the Board of Directors of the North Cedar Community School District in the Counties of Cedar and Jones, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $18,900,000 to build, furnish, and equip an addition to the secondary building for a multipurpose gymnasium/auditorium, including site improvements; and to demolish, reconstruct, renovate, furnish, and equip a portion of the Lowden elementary building, including site improvements.”

The second question will renew the district’s ability to use the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund (SAVE) sales tax dollars it already receives from the state to fund facility projects.
“In the North Cedar Community School District, the following Revenue Purpose Statement which specifies the use of revenues the North Cedar Community School District will receive from the State of Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund shall be adopted.”

EARLY: Absentee In-Person voting is available beginning October 15 through 5 p.m. November 3 at the county auditor’s office.

ABSENTEE: Mail-In Absentee Ballots must be requested by October 20. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day or hand deliver your ballot to the auditor.Request a ballot at: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/absenteeballotapp.pdf

ELECTION DAY: Vote in-person on November 4 at your assigned polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

This proposal is the result of a community-driven facility planning process that began in 2022 when the district hired OPN Architects to conduct an assessment of all the district’s buildings, sites, and infrastructure.
Following the assessments, the district convened a committee of community members, parents, business owners, and school employees. Over the course of the next two years, the committee met to consider the results of the facility assessments and prioritize needs. The committee arrived at a proposed solution that addresses the district’s most critical facility needs at Lowden Elementary and the Jr./Sr. High School in a fiscally responsible manner.

Reusing existing facilities is always the preference. This plan is a combination of re-use and rebuilding because the oldest portions of Lowden Elementary are more expensive to repair and renovate than the cost or rebuilding. Most buildings are expected to last 50 years. The oldest part of Lowden Elementary has passed that milestone by 25 years. That means the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are expensive to repair because parts are no longer made. That also means that the building itself is no longer supporting current teaching and learning. By tearing down the oldest part and keeping newer additions, the district is making the most fiscally conservative decision it can while still ensuring that students at both of our elementary schools have similar experiences.

What we mean is that the facilities do not support current learning and teaching in the same way. Mechanicsville was built entirely new just a few decades ago. Lowden, on the other hand, has been added onto over the years, with the oldest parts more than 75 years ago. Schools are not designed today the way they were in the early 1900s. Not only is the structure and systems in the oldest part of the building failing, but the classrooms do not support collaborative, technology-infused, interactive learning. By replacing the oldest part of the school, our teachers and students will be able to teach and learn at Lowden in the same way the newer building in Mechanicsville allows.

The new addition at the Jr./Sr. High School will be a flexible multi-purpose space that will function as both a performance venue for fine arts and a supplemental practice facility for athletics of all ages. While the committee agreed that the ideal solution would be a dedicated auditorium and separate activity/gym space, the combined approach is the most fiscally conservative and helps satisfy both needs. The new space will include a full elevated 30 ft by 100 ft stage with enough room to fit 300 seats on the floor in addition to seating for 500 on bleachers along both sides of the floor. In addition to band, choir, and theatre performances, the stage can be used for community events like dance recitals and for graduation. When the space is not in use for fine arts performances and practices, the gym will be able to be used for physical education as well as practices before and after school. This will alleviate scheduling pressures on the district’s existing gyms, which require students to practice in the very early morning or until late at night due to limited space and many teams needing practice times.

The intent is to renovate the current theatre to be used for wrestling practice. This would likely require removing the bleachers and redoing the floors and adding mats on the walls and floors. We may also use the stage for a sweat/cardio room. This project would be undertaken after the addition is open. Because it is a future phase, costs for this work are unknown at this time. The district intends to use existing funds for any renovations. The cost of this future work is not part of the bond.

When the space is not in use for fine arts performances and practices, the gym will be able to be used for physical education as well as practices before and after school. This will alleviate scheduling pressures on the district’s existing gyms, which require students to practice in the very early morning or until late at night due to limited space and many teams needing practice times.

At this time there are no plans to change the status quo at Stanwood. Any changes would be a board decision.

North Cedar’s enrollment is projected to be steady at around 520 students over the next 12 years. This is consistent with recent history as well as rural population states in other districts throughout the state. One of these trends is that families increasingly “shop” around for districts, particularly when they may live in one district but work in another or have several within a reasonable commuting distance. This is the reality at North Cedar. These projects are partially in response to this challenge. It isn’t about creating more space. It is about improving and replacing existing spaces to give our current students better experiences and improve student retention. Students at Lowden and Mechanicsville Elementary do not have equitable facilities. The proposed replacement of the oldest part of Lowden Elementary will improve learning environments to ensure students at both schools have similar experiences. At the Jr./Sr. High School, the primary goal is replacing the existing theatre at Clarence, which does not support any of our fine arts programs adequately. A larger stage with modern lighting and sound equipment will create better experiences for our student musicians and actors who work hard to practice their arts. When it is not in use by those programs, the gym floor will create additional space for our student athletes of all ages to practice.

If the bond does not pass, our facilities will still have significant needs and the cost of the work will increase as construction costs go up each year. Because the district is planning to extend existing debt to fund for the majority of the project, taxes will not immediately go down. We will continue to pay off our existing bond.

This option was considered decades ago, but residents preferred to maintain buildings in more than one of the district’s communities. As a result, the committee did not seriously consider this option this time. However, the district asked its architecture team to estimate the cost of building a single campus, which would require at least a 120,000-square foot building for the district’s current enrollment. At a cost of $425/sf for new construction, the estimate would be at least $51 million not including the cost of land or additional costs like furniture and equipment. It also would not account for growth. The state limits each district’s borrowing ability. This amount would exceed North Cedar’s borrowing capacity and is not a viable option.

The concepts the district’s architects have developed are only hypothetical. In order to arrive at a cost estimate to take to voters, we know approximate square footage and certain factors like equipment have been accounted for, but neither project will be designed until after the bond passes. At that point, our architects will spend time getting to know the community’s collective vision for this project. Final dimensions, exact layout, and general aesthetic both inside and out will be determined at this point in the process. These details will be determined by a core group identified by the school district.

Once the bond passes, OPN Architects will start the design process, which includes detailed conversations about space needs, adjacencies, and aesthetic preferences. This will take 10 to 12 months. The project will likely bid in spring 2026. Any local contractor, general or sub-contractor, is able to bid on the project if they are able to meet bidding requirements. These requirements are typically related to being able to provide performance bonds that cover their contract. The district hopes that any and all contractors, including local companies, will review the bid documents to consider supplying bids. In Iowa, projects are publicly bid, so work cannot just be given to a specific contractor. Construction usually takes 12 to 14 months and could be complete by spring/summer 2027.

Students will not occupy the new academic wing at Lowden Elementary until the construction is completed. After demolition, which will take place over the summer when school is not in session, this part of the building will be sectioned off by the general contractor to ensure student safety during construction. Similarly, the selected contractor at the Jr./Sr. High School will be expected to ensure safety for those students as construction takes place at that site.

At Lowden, the existing gym will likely be able to be used during construction but not during demolition over the summer. The district is still exploring solutions to the temporary need for classrooms and a cafeteria during construction. The costs for these short-term solutions were accounted for in the project budget. Due to the nature of school construction, the phasing of this process is not new to our architects and will likely be something the contractors who bid on the work will have dealt with before. These are conversations that will happen during design.

In Iowa, projects are publicly bid, so work cannot just be given to a specific contractor. Any local contractor, general or sub-contractor, is able to bid on the project if they are able to meet bidding requirements. These requirements are typically related to being able to provide performance bonds that cover their contract. The district hopes that any and all contractors, including local companies, will review the bid documents to consider supplying bids.

At Lowden, the existing gym will likely be able to be used during construction but not during demolition over the summer. The district is still exploring solutions to the temporary need for classrooms and a cafeteria during construction. The costs for these short-term solutions were accounted for in the project budget. Due to the nature of school construction, the phasing of this process is not new to our architects and will likely be something the contractors who bid on the work will have dealt with before. These are conversations that will happen during design.

This proposal would extend the district’s current debt, which allows the district to maintain its current tax levy rate.
The district cannot take on these projects without taking on debt. Districts receive some state funding, but the majority of property tax collected by residents of the district supplements state funding to pay for day-to-day operations, including teacher and staff salaries and benefits, educational and instructional materials, and operational costs of the district.

While generally it is considered wise to save money for a rainy day – or in this case a large expense – school districts are not legally allowed to stockpile large savings accounts. As a protection for taxpayers, they are encouraged by law to operate in such a way that they spend all that they bring in each year. The general fund, where state funding and property tax funds are allocated, is like a checking account for day-to-day expenses.

The district does have access to two other funding streams. PPEL funds can be used for small-scale grounds and building projects. The state also created the 1-cent sales tax (SAVE) funding mechanism for schools to use for smaller capital projects on an annual basis.

While it is common practice for districts to leverage some of these funds to supplement bond funding for major projects, as North Cedar plans to do to reduce property tax impact for phase 1 and 2, it is not prudent to exhaust these funds on such projects. The district needs to ensure there are still funds available for unforeseen repairs like replacing/repairing roofs or purchasing new buses.

That is why districts turn to general obligation bonds to fund larger scale new or improved facility projects. Through a special election, voters of a district give their approval for the district to levy additional property taxes that will go directly to paying back the bond. The additional taxes cannot be used for anything other than paying down debt.

The district is not allowed to bond beyond the amount approved by voters. Of course, anyone who has ever taken on a construction project no matter how big or small knows that there are always unforeseen costs. In the architecture and construction industry, these are called contingencies.

A contingency budget is built into the overall budget. Typically, at this point in the project, this is around 20% of the total project budget. This means that our budget is built to be flexible to accommodate unforeseen situations. Throughout the design process, there will be regular cost estimates, each with more detail that help the design team and district stay aligned with the budget.

OPN has a great deal of experience working on publicly bid projects, including many new and renovated school buildings. They have relationships with local contractors who are all well-versed in procurement phasing. The budgets for the project have also included contingencies, which are partially in place to protect the district from unforeseen costs.

School facilities are integrally tied to a community’s economic vitality. According to a recent study by real estate search engine Trulia and Harris Interactive, the majority (57 percent) of parents with children under 18 would pay above listing price to live in the neighborhood with ideal schools. As districts around us improve their facilities and the community continues to look to the future, our school facilities will play a critical role in our community’s viability.

You may not have children attending schools in our district, but chances are you attended a school as a youth. You benefited because someone else who may not have had their own children in school understood that there is an interconnectedness to living in a community. We collectively pay for public facilities like schools because it is an investment in our shared wellbeing and in our future generations.

If the bond does not pass, our facilities will still have significant needs and the cost of the work will increase as construction costs go up each year. Because the district is planning to extend existing debt to fund for the majority of the project, taxes will not go down. We will continue to pay off our existing bond. Because the needs will not go away, specifically at Lowden, where the building is not ADA compliant and there are major issues with the systems and structure of the historic part of the school, the school board would need to consider other ways to fund the needed upgrades, which could potentially increase taxes.