Vote Yes organizers outline roughly $75 million school bond referendum, ask for council support

Representatives of a Vote Yes committee, including Jen Tulle and Trevor Leon, told the Granite Falls City Council that the school district plans a single-question bond referendum this summer to address aging school facilities.

“My name is Jen Tulle. I am a graduate … and I also walk the halls with our students and staff every day as a speech language,” said Tulle, who outlined a facilities assessment that documented failing electrical and sewer systems, out-of-date instructional spaces and nearly 100‑year-old wings at the high school. Tulle said the facilities committee evaluated options ranging from roughly $30 million for repairs to more than $100 million for replacement, and that the committee recommended using usable portions of existing buildings while replacing the oldest sections.

Presenters said community survey results showed majority support for a roughly $75 million bond proposal and that the ballot question materials provided by the district list a figure of “$74,395” (amount as stated in the meeting materials). They told councilors the district has about 400 students and that the district’s website includes a tax calculator to estimate individual homeowner impacts; presenters stated an example figure for the average district home as $1,820.

The committee asked the council to support the measure and to help spread information. They noted early voting would begin June 27 at the Yellow Medicine County Government Center and that election day is scheduled for Aug. 12 at the Kilaw Community Center. Councilors praised the committee’s outreach and the district’s information sessions.

The presentation was informational; no council action or endorsement was recorded during this meeting. The committee invited council participation in outreach and community events before the referendum.