Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to your questions about the bond referendum.

Questions About Our Challenges

  • Thanks to strong community support, Cook County Schools has made responsible investments in our buildings over the years. However, key spaces for the arts, athletics, and outdoor learning remain outdated, lack some essential areas to fully support our student activities and no longer meet the needs of today’s students.

    The proposed $6.65 million referendum would fund much-needed improvements to ensure our students can grow, perform, and compete in safe, modern facilities close to home. It would also strengthen our district’s role as a regional hub for education, athletics, and the arts. 

    If voters approve the referendum, it would unlock a $5 million matching grant from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) — a rare opportunity to make critical improvements while lowering the impact on taxpayers.

  • Our outdated performing arts center:
    The Arrowhead Center for the Arts—the only venue of its kind in Cook County—hasn’t received major updates since it opened in 1998. Its lighting, rigging, and control systems are unreliable, equipment access poses safety concerns, and inflexible seating impacts performance options and access for those with disabilities.

    Our lack of a track facility:
    Without a track, our 70-80 student-athletes must train on grass and residential streets, and travel hours away to use other facilities for practices. Key events like hurdles and jumps can’t be practiced safely on site, limiting the district’s ability to host meets or grow the program locally.

    Our highly restricted, unreliable athletic fields:
    Our main athletic field is off-limits up to six days a week to preserve the natural grass and keep it in playable condition. This field often can’t be played on due to being too wet or frozen. The same is true for the baseball field, which lacks lights, seating, and proper drainage. Schools with turf fields can practice daily, rain or shine—putting Cook County athletes at a disadvantage. In addition, girls’ softball does not have a dedicated field. Last year, the softball team was unable to have a single on-field practice before their first game.

  • The district has done an excellent job of assessing its needs and being fiscally responsible with its maintenance budget. Since 2023, Cook County Schools has been working with independent experts and community members to assess our school facilities and develop a thoughtful, focused plan to address our challenges. 

    In November 2024, the district asked voters to consider a three-question referendum, with one question focused on investments in our arts, activities and outdoor learning spaces. That question was narrowly rejected by voters. Since then, we have explored other funding sources and conducted community-wide surveys to gauge voters’ priorities and refine the proposed investments.

Questions About Our Proposed Plan

  • On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, voters in the Cook County School District will consider a $6.65 million bond referendum to invest in the district's performing arts center, outdoor learning environments, and multipurpose physical education space – including a track and synthetic turf surface. If voters approve the referendum, it would unlock a $5 million grant from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) — a rare opportunity to make critical improvements while lowering the impact on taxpayers.

    Find more details on the Plan page.

  • Starting in 2023, we partnered with independent experts and community members to assess our challenges and develop a high-value plan to address them. 

    • This process has included a comprehensive facilities study, demographic and enrollment projections, an educational adequacy assessment, and 10 listening sessions with staff, students, residents and board members. 

    • After voters narrowly rejected proposed investments in our arts and activities spaces during the November 2024 referendum, we explored other funding sources and conducted two community-wide surveys to gauge voters’ priorities and refine the plan.

    In May, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) awarded the district a $5 million matching grant to support improvements to activities, arts, and outdoor learning spaces. This funding is contingent on voter approval of the upcoming referendum this November.

    For more information, visit our Process page.

  • If approved by voters, the $6.65 million bond referendum would allow Cook County students to grow, perform, and compete in safe, modern facilities close to home. Specific benefits for students include: 

    • Better opportunities to pursue the performing arts in a safe, modernized space.

    • Creating outdoor learning spaces will provide students with more opportunities for environmental studies, nature-based learning, group activities, hands-on projects and wellness programming.

    • A full track facility on campus will allow our track and field team to host meets at home for the first time and train safely. It would also be used regularly for physical education classes and extracurricular activities year-round. 

    • A new synthetic turf field will be used for physical education classes and allow teams to practice every day of the week, regardless of weather or field conditions – providing student-athletes with better opportunities to hone their skills and compete. It will also be a multi-purpose field, giving our girls’ softball team equitable access to a field. 

    • An improved baseball field with lighting, seating and proper drainage will improve safety for our students and allow our baseball team to practice and compete regardless of sunlight. 

    Learn more about how the proposed plan would benefit students by visiting our Plan page.

  • If voters reject the referendum this November, Cook County Schools will not receive the $5 million grant from the IRRRB. This rare funding opportunity is only available for the proposed referendum project, and future funding opportunities are not guaranteed. 

    Additionally, improvements to arts, athletics, and outdoor learning spaces will be further delayed. This means:

    • Our outdated performing arts center will not meet the needs of students, staff, residents, and community arts groups.

    • Our natural grass fields will continue to be at the mercy of the elements, resulting in shortened seasons and missed opportunities for our student-athletes.

    • With no track, our track and field athletes will still need to travel over two hours to practice and compete – often missing days of school and making it harder for family, staff, and other students to support them at meets. 

    • The girls’ softball team will continue to lack a dedicated field.

    • Without adequate lighting or seating, after-school baseball practices and entire games will continue to be difficult or impossible.

  • A bond referendum is an election that allows residents to decide whether a school district should incur debt by issuing bonds to fund improvements to its school buildings. Bonds give school districts the ability to make large-scale improvements immediately while paying off the cost of the investments over a longer period of time, similar to a mortgage. The annual payments are made using property tax revenue.

  • The opportunity to receive a $5 million matching grant for these projects from the IRRRB makes this November the ideal time to complete them. With the grant, the cost of the plan is mitigated significantly. Additionally, the district has already secured contractors and completed budget estimates for the projects as a result of the successful referendum question in November 2024. If the referendum is approved this November, the district won’t have to repeat these steps. This would save significant time and money and ensure the plan is completed quickly and efficiently.

  • Great schools benefit everyone who calls Cook County home. A strong school district helps attract families, supports local businesses, and strengthens the overall quality of life. 

    Cook County Schools serves more than 450 students, along with families and visitors from across the region. Our district is more than a place to learn—it’s the heart of our community. This referendum would allow us to strengthen our role as a regional hub for education, activities and the arts.

Questions About The Tax Impact

  • If voters approve the referendum, the district will unlock a $5 million grant from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) to reduce the cost of the referendum for local taxpayers. With this grant, a $400,000 home (approximately the district median) would see an estimated tax impact of $4 per month starting in 2026. 

    Visit our Tax Impact page to calculate your specific tax impact.

  • No. If voters approve the referendum this November, taxes to pay down the bonds would expire after 20 years or once the bonds have been fully paid, whichever happens sooner.

  • Yes. In addition to the $5 million IRRRB grant, the district has been preapproved for an additional $250,000 grant through the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) to invest in outdoor learning spaces and walking paths. This grant requires a 25% match, which the referendum would provide, and is contingent upon final approval during the 2026 legislative session.

  • Yes. Minnesota offers multiple other tax credits and deferrals that can reduce the tax impact of an approved referendum, such as the Minnesota Homestead Credit Refund, Special Property Tax Refund, and the Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral. These credits and deferrals are subject to additional qualifications based on age, income, and tax burden.

  • For owners of farmland, Minnesota’s Ag2School tax credit offers a 70% tax credit to all agricultural property except the house, garage, and one acre surrounding the agricultural homestead. This is not a tax deduction – it is an automatic dollar-for-dollar credit with no application required.

  • All bond referendums for public schools are funded through local property tax increases, which affect residential homestead properties, commercial/industrial properties, seasonal/recreational properties, and all agricultural land (homestead and non-homestead). The tax impact was calculated with the help of our district’s financial advisor – PMA Securities – based upon the principal amount of the proposed bonds relative to the value of property in our school district. 

    To understand your estimated tax impact if the bond referendum is approved, visit our Tax Impact page.

  • Not necessarily. When considering year-to-year changes, individual tax impacts are determined by your property’s value relative to the net tax capacity of all taxable property in our school district. This means that your tax impact will only rise if your property’s value increases at a greater rate than the rest of the property in our district. However, if your property’s value rises at a slower rate than other property in our district, your tax impact would actually decrease for that year.

  • No. Funds from each question can only be used for the projects outlined by the language on the ballot. These funds must also remain separate from our district's general fund, so they can not be used to pay for general school operations. These rules help ensure that projects approved by voters are completed fully and according to the goals identified by our school community.

Questions About Voting

  • Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

  • Yes. Early voting is available via absentee ballot or in person at the Cook County Auditor’s Office during regular business hours through Monday, November 3. 

    Absentee ballots will be mailed to every registered voter around the first week of October and can be returned by mail or by hand to the Election’s Office at the Cook County Auditor’s Office (411 West 2nd Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604).

    Once you receive your ballot, you can complete and return it right away. You don’t have to wait until Election Day. To learn more about early voting or how to request an absentee ballot, visit our Voting Information page.

  • The only place you can vote in-person on Election Day (Tuesday, November 4) is the Cook County Auditor’s Office in the Cook County Courthouse, located at 411 W. 2nd Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604. Voting will be available between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

  • Yes, the sample ballot can be viewed here.

  • Residents can explore this website to learn more about the referendum. Please use the Connect Page to contact the district with questions or feedback.