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Residents urge caution on consolidation, warn of small-town impacts and taxes
Summary
During public comment residents, teachers and municipal employees urged the board to prioritize small-town identity and fiscal caution, asking for phased plans and clear tax-impact numbers before voting on large bond measures.
Multiple public commenters and teachers spoke during the meeting's public-comment period, urging the board to avoid hasty consolidation that could hollow out small towns. A teacher who identified herself as employed at Washburn Rural said she worried about long-term consequences and told the board: "With the enrollment at its current rate ... in 20 years, what's our goal?" emphasizing that new construction should not just match current enrollment but account for future growth or decline.
A municipal employee in public comment noted the trade-off between keeping local schools and increasing mill levies, and asked the board to consider whether residents would accept higher taxes to preserve town-based schools. Commenters repeatedly asked for phase-based options, clearer cost estimates and community-centered reuse plans for any vacated buildings rather than leaving them to degrade.
