October 7, 2026 Building Better Together: Bond Referendum Community Presentation

Robbinsdale Area Schools’ October 7, 2026 community presentation on the Building Better Together bond referendum reviewed the district’s financial and facility needs and outlined three ballot questions. District leaders cited $140 million in deferred maintenance, statutory operating debt, declining enrollment, and $26 million in cuts over the prior three years. The proposed capital plan would consolidate schools, create a single high school at the Cooper/New Hope Learning Center site, renovate facilities, and support learning and arts spaces; later ballot questions would add projects including Plymouth Middle School renovations and a possible new east-side elementary school. The questions were described as sequential, with approximate monthly tax increases of $15 for Question 1, another $2 for Question 2, and another $8 for Question 3 on a median-priced home. No referendum vote or contract award occurred at this presentation.

Leaders said the district has approved $140 million in long-term facility maintenance, which could be reduced to roughly $80–90 million if the bond passes, and would still need $2–3 million in annual budget reductions for each of the next two years. The district is pursuing an RFP for realtors and brokers to assess a possible sale of the district office, with other unneeded properties to be evaluated later; officials gave no final property count or sale values and noted that sale proceeds are restricted to capital uses or debt repayment, not staffing. The presentation also discussed possible school reconfiguration, design and boundary committees, and the potential loss of programs or activities if the referendum fails.