Hawley School Board Examining Options for Potential Referendum
Hawley, MN — The Hawley School Board is getting closer to determining whether or not to move forward with a November referendum that could have district residents voting on a new middle school. Running out of space due to booming enrollment, a task force has been meeting with consultants over the past several months to determine how to address their space needs. Their facility consultants, Ingensa, have come up with five different options that include an Elementary addition, constructing a new high school, or constructing a middle school, along with various combinations of each. The task force is meeting this Wednesday, August 3rd to come up with a recommendation, but Hawley Superintendent Phil Jensen says right now it appears they are leaning towards building either a new high school or middle school with middle school option being a community favorite.
Choosing the new Middle School option would come with a price tag of around $50 million, where as a new High School is estimated at around $60 million. Another option would be to add on to both the Elementary and High School, which could cost between $43 and $48 million.
If the Hawley School District were to successfully pass a referendum to construct a new middle school or high school, the building would be located to the north of the Elementary.
The Hawley School Board will vote at a special meeting on Monday, August 8th whether or not to move forward with a referendum.