Our School, Our Future

At Oakes Public School, we proudly embrace our mission of achieving excellence by educating all students for tomorrow’s world. As we celebrate the 100th birthday of our high school this year, we are dedicated to ensuring our school is equipped to serve students into the next century. With input from staff, students, and our community, the Oakes School Board began a comprehensive process to plan for the future of our building in the early part of 2023.

This website is dedicated to providing updates about the process as we continue through it, and we encourage our community to stay engaged with our district throughout this process.

The Challenges We Face

Our district has worked hard to maintain our 100-year-old high school and 63-year-old elementary school within the scope of our budget. This included completing several maintenance projects over the last few years, such as reinforcing the sagging floors in the science labs at the high school, reroofing the high school, and replacing portions of the underground sewer piping in the elementary school. However, other critical needs go far beyond the scope of our regular maintenance budget. 

For example, the high school’s 40+-year-old chiller unit broke down this past spring, making the air conditioning system unusable and unfixable along with the associated HVAC within the high school, which is beyond its life expectancy and does not meet today’s standard for indoor air quality. Other challenges at our high school and elementary school include problems with an undersized kitchen with equipment beyond its life expectancy, plumbing systems, windows, bathrooms, outdated classrooms, and more.

The Planning Process

With input from staff, students, and our community, the Oakes School Board began a comprehensive process to plan for the future of our buildings in the early part of 2023. The goal of this process is to identify the needs of our buildings and create a long-term plan to address them so our schools can support the next generation of students. This process has included the following:

  • This past spring, we hired ICS, a strategic K-12 facilities planning and construction firm, to help our district through this process.

  • A demographics analysis was completed to understand our historical and projected student enrollment further. 

  • An educational adequacy assessment was completed to understand how the spaces in our building compare to recommended guidelines for K-12 schools.

  • This past summer, the school board reviewed a detailed facility assessment conducted by experts at ICS. 

  • Our district has also worked to gather feedback from our staff and community through several listening sessions, a community-wide survey, and community open houses.

Facilities Questions and Answers (FQAs) About the Process

  • The district hired ICS, an independent consulting firm, to lead us through a long-range facility planning process. ICS completed four assessments, including 1) stakeholder listening sessions, 2) a demographic analysis, 3) an educational adequacy assessment, and 4) a facility needs assessment.

    With the collected data, priorities were ranked based on the level of need, commonalities across all assessments, and providing a high tax-payer value. The highest-ranked needs were HVAC and windows in the high school, plumbing in the high school, kitchen expansion and updates, and classroom size and suitability.

  • You can Contact Superintendent Anna Sell by email at anna.sell@k12.nd.us.

  • We appreciate our community members who participated in our survey. We saw similar themes when reviewing the survey results for both parents and non-parents. Parents ranked these items as the highest priority needs: HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and ADA bathrooms. Our non-parents ranked these items as the highest priority needs: HVAC, fire protection, plumbing, and ADA bathrooms.

  • Yes. Our district and facility staff have done a great job keeping our facility maintained and have been able to make improvements as dollars allow. These projects include replacing flooring and lights, tuckpointing and brick improvements on the school's exterior, roof replacements, science room floor improvements, and a central office addition.

    However, several facility needs extend beyond our annual maintenance budgets allocated by the State of North Dakota. The physical needs of our school will continue to worsen the longer we wait to address them.

  • Yes. Our district has worked to gather feedback from our staff and community through several listening sessions, a community-wide survey, and community open houses. In the fall of 2023, the district hosted several community meetings to discuss the facility's challenges, gain feedback, and develop a dedicated website for two-way communication with residents.

    Through mailings, newspaper articles, events, and social media, the district continues to inform residents of the district’s biggest challenges. A second community survey will be available later this fall to gain additional feedback from residents.

  • The success of local schools and their communities are deeply connected. Strong schools help attract new residents to our growing communities and prepare students for careers at local businesses. Across North Dakota, stronger schools mean stronger communities and local economies. The school is the hub of our small North Dakota town. Towns that lose their school usually don’t recover, as the heartbeat of a community is gone, pulling vital jobs, activities, and a sense of pride and belonging with it.

  • The survey is available online, or paper surveys are available at the OPS Central Office. The survey can be accessed using this link.

  • Yes. Since the beginning of this process, we have intentionally sought out input from our district families. This month, we are meeting with a community group of 16 people to share information about the proposed project and receive feedback on the process. We also have a new facilities survey that is open until Friday, December 15.

  • Feedback from the survey will be used to help guide our school board in determining the next steps of the planning process. It is imperative to our board that all stakeholders have a voice in our school. The school belongs to our community, and the board welcomes input.

  • We greatly appreciate our community members’ feedback on the latest facility survey. Survey results will be delivered to the school board at a special board meeting in December and to community members after the new year. After that, the board will identify ways to move forward at their January board meeting. We will inform the public what those next steps will be after that time.

  • Survey results will be presented to the school board during a special board meeting on Friday, December 22. To ensure all residents can hear the survey results and ask questions, two virtual meetings will be offered on Wednesday, January 10, at noon and at 5:30 pm. A link will be shared the first week of January for those interested in joining.

  • The district is evaluating all the data collected along with the community feedback and will be considering different options for a facilities investment plan at the January 2024 board meeting. At the same time, we are proactively taking steps to be ready if the school board moves forward with a proposed investment plan and the plan is approved by voters. Involving construction managers early in a project will help the district get ready, plan well, and help make sure building projects stay on budget and finish on time.

  • The district will host two virtual meetings on Wednesday, January 10, at noon and at 5:30 p.m. All residents are encouraged to join one of the two meetings. To access the meetings, residents can access the Zoom link via the district’s website. A recorded version of the virtual meeting will also be available on this dedicated microsite beginning Thursday, January 11.

  • The school board will evaluate options for a proposed facility investment plan during its Friday, January 12 meeting. The meeting begins at 7 a.m. and is held in the Central Office Conference Room. The agenda and a Zoom link to watch the meeting are shared publicly via the district’s website and social media. To access the agenda and Zoom link, click here.

Facilities Questions and Answers (FQAs) About Our Challenges

  • Our kitchen facilities were part of our original elementary school, which was built in 1960. Our walk-in cooler and freezer are original, approximately 65 years old, and are built into the building. All kitchen appliances, with the exception of the dishwasher, are 50 years old or older. These items have outlasted their life expectancy and can no longer be fixed when they fail. The kitchen and serving area is also undersized compared to industry guidelines, making it challenging for our kitchen staff to work efficiently.

  • The existing HVAC system serving the three-story high school and both gymnasiums has exceeded its life expectancy and is in need of complete replacement. Some components range anywhere from 45 to 100 years of age. Currently, we do not have a chiller that provides air conditioning to our high school. The proposed HVAC budget estimate includes the cost of converting the existing two-pipe HVAC system throughout the high school building and gymnasiums to a four-pipe HVAC system, air handling units, boiler, chiller, pumps, digital controls with individual classroom control, ductwork distribution, ceiling, LED lights, fire protection, electrical updates to accommodate the new system, contingency, inflation, commissioning, and all professional fees.

  • This past May, our 40-year-old chiller suffered a terminal breakdown. Due to its age, fixing the chiller is not an option. Since this transpired, our school board and maintenance team have diligently searched for alternative options. Unfortunately, none of the options presented are viable either due to cost or long-term facilities maintenance needs. We will continue to seek options, but we are currently unable to fix the air conditioning in our high school. We will do our best to ensure our students, staff, and community remain comfortable.

  • We appreciate our community members who participated in our survey. We saw similar themes when reviewing the survey results for both parents and non-parents. Parents ranked these items as the highest priority needs: HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and ADA bathrooms. Our non-parents ranked these items as the highest priority needs: HVAC, fire protection, plumbing, and ADA bathrooms.

  • Handicap-accessible bathrooms are only available on the first floor. Unfortunately, the second and third floors of the high school do not have ADA-compliant restrooms to serve our students, staff, and community members. If someone needs to use a handicap-accessible bathroom and they are located on the second or third floor, they would need to take the elevator down to the first floor to use it.

  • Yes. The boiler is still functioning and currently provides heat for our high school and gymnasiums. However, the boiler is over 40 years old, and the associated HVAC components, including the fan coil units, pumps, piping, and controls, are deteriorating. Our facility staff has done a great job with maintenance, but the boiler and the associated HVAC system are well beyond its useful and expected life. Due to its age, there is a concern that the boiler will fail, leaving our district unable to provide school or activities for our high school students during the winter.

  • Currently, our priorities include the existing HVAC system serving the high school, windows in our high school, plumbing systems, and updating our inadequate kitchen area.

Facilities Questions and Answers (FQAs) About the Plan

  • North Dakota Century Code limits the amount of debt a school can take on. This limit is 10% of the total assessed value of a district property. The total assessed value of Oakes Public School is approximately $230 million, which equates to a total debt amount of $23 million. To build a new school currently requires $50-$60 million, which is not a feasible option for our district.

  • Unfortunately, with a $20,000,000 debt limit, it is critical to prioritize our district’s immediate needs. Although these projects are important, they have not been identified as immediate needs at this time.

  • Addressing the most critical needs in our building would include demolishing the existing infrastructure in various places. The school board feels it would be more fiscally responsible to include addressing our high school classrooms as part of the plan instead of needing to address them at a later time to avoid increasing construction costs.

  • No. It is important to know that nothing has been finalized regarding making facility improvements to our school. Our K-12 facility planning and construction partner, ICS, was hired to help guide our district in making data-driven decisions that best support our school’s physical facility needs. The project costs that have been referenced are not contractor bids and are not finalized. If the school board moves forward with a project, and funding is approved, our district will follow all local and state statutes regarding the project bidding process.

  • Providing adequate facilities is critical for students and staff. The ways in which students learn and grow have changed over the last 40 years, requiring facility updates to best position our students for their success. Our high school's HVAC system and windows fail to meet current air quality standards, and studies have shown that poor air quality affects student performance. HVAC improvements, similar to what our district is proposing, have been proven to impact students and staff in the following ways:

    • Increased ventilation improves concentration and productivity.

    • Improved IAQ reduces illnesses and increases the attendance of staff and students.

    • Improved indoor environmental comfort.

    • Reduce energy costs with a digital control system, CO2 monitoring, dampers operating properly, etc.

    For staff, providing a safe, comfortable, and inviting facility is important. The proposed improvements would help support that goal.

Facilities Questions and Answers (FQAs) About the Cost

  • The existing HVAC system serving the three-story high school and both gymnasiums has exceeded its life expectancy and is in need of complete replacement. Some components range anywhere from 45 to 100 years of age. Currently, we do not have a chiller that provides air conditioning to our high school. The proposed HVAC budget estimate includes the cost of converting the existing two-pipe HVAC system throughout the high school building and gymnasiums to a four-pipe HVAC system, air handling units, boiler, chiller, pumps, digital controls with individual classroom control, ductwork distribution, ceiling, LED lights, fire protection, electrical updates to accommodate the new system, contingency, inflation, commissioning, and all professional fees.

  • At the end of the 2021-2022 school year, Oakes Public School had approximately $550,000 ESSER dollars to help combat student learning loss. The school board decided to use these dollars to pay teacher wages. Fortunately, the use of these dollars for that purpose alleviated general fund dollars to allow our district to help pay for our science lab floor project. This project cost approximately $700,000. We do not have any remaining ESSER dollars to use for a building project; per statute, we are not allowed to use them for that purpose.

  • Fortunately, our district has received grant funds in the past few years. These dollars have been used to replace outdated lighting, purchase additional buses, and pay for professional development courses for our teachers. Unfortunately, there are no available grants to address the district’s most critical facility needs, and historically, grant opportunities for projects of this type and magnitude are not available. However, we are continuously looking for alternative funding options with the help of our K-12 planning and construction partner, ICS. If identified, we will take advantage of any available funds to help invest in facility improvements.

  • The only funding option available to address the proposed project is a voter-approved referendum. If our district decided to pursue a voter-approved bond referendum to finance this project, and it was successful, it would borrow dollars, called General Obligation Bonds, at the current market rate. Currently, interest is approximately 4% - 5%, but that could change depending on the timing of a referendum.

    However, there is an opportunity for public schools to borrow from a North Dakota State Legislature fund at a 2% interest rate. The process to obtain these funds is competitive, with a deadline of March 31, and the maximum amount that can be borrowed is $15 million. If voters approve the proposed plan prior to the deadline, it is the district's intent to apply for the maximum amount of funds from the North Dakota State Legislature and sell General Obligation funds for the remainder of the project.

  • The 20 mills, approximately $445,000, levied for our Building Fund must, according to the ND Century Code, be used each year to provide dollars for the repair or improvement of our district buildings. Currently, approximately $222,000 of the Building Fund is allocated to the yearly payment for the 2015 Central Office Project. The district also uses these funds to pay for yearly general building maintenance budgeted around $100,000 per year. Any expenses for larger repairs or improvements of our buildings beyond the Building Fund dollars are transferred from the General Fund.

  • Spending taxpayer dollars wisely is important to our school board and administration. The maximum amount of mills that a North Dakota school district can levy is 105 mills. From 2013-2021, Oakes Public School District did not seek more than 90 mills from its taxpayers. In 2022, it became necessary to seek 91.05 mills to help fund, in part, the increasing costs for our yearly deferred maintenance projects across our building. This does not allow the district to address the larger deferred maintenance needs identified in our long-range facility planning process, such as our high school’s HVAC needs.

  • If the district decides to move forward with a project, and funding is approved, the district will follow the ND Century Code for publicly bidding the project. If bids come in lower than estimated, and the project costs less than projected, the remaining funds can be returned back to local residents, resulting in tax savings.

  • Over the past three fiscal years, Oakes Public School has received $388,000 to $443,000 from the building fund tax levy. Over those same three years, we have paid, on average, $218,000 in both the interest and principal for the 2014 refinancing of the 2008 gym addition and the 2015 bond sale related to our Central Office addition. The remaining expenses have varied from $193,000 to $672,000. Within those years, there were approximately $116,000 in track repairs, $235,000 in sewer repairs, and $743,000 in science floor improvements. Any shortfalls in the building fund were supplemented by general fund dollars, and any general maintenance expenses were also paid by the general fund.

    The current year’s budget for building funds includes approximately a $207,330.00 bond payment and approximately $559,052.00 for general building maintenance and the remainder of the science floor project.

Connect with Oakes Public School

Do you have questions or feedback to share? Complete the short form below. You can also contact Superintendent Anna Sell by email at Anna.Sell@k12.nd.us or by phone at 701.742.3204.

Oakes Public School Resources

10.26.23 | Oakes Times | “OPS Facilities Q&A, Part 2”

10.19.23 | Oakes Times | “OPS Board Assesses School Building”