Pequot referendum set for Dec. 19

PEQUOT LAKES -- Pequot Lakes School District voters will head to the polls on Dec. 19 to answer one question -- will they approve the $27.85 million bond referendum?

The school board approved the referendum question Monday night. The question will read as follows:

"Shall the School Board of Education of Independent School District No. 186 (Pequot Lakes), Minnesota, be authorized to issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $27,855,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school facilities, including the construction of a new elementary school; acquisition of land for future building needs; additions to the existing high school building for music, science lab and classrooms; adaptations of the existing high school building to provide a community media center; and renovation of elementary and high school classrooms to accommodate middle and high school classes?"

Voters will vote yes or no on the measure. Polling sites will be open from 4-8 p.m. Dec. 19. Those two polling sites are at the Pequot Lakes School and at the Crosslake City Hall, said Superintendent Jim Oraskovich.

In other board action, the board amended the graduation standards requirement by reducing the number of standards from 24 to 20 by 2002 and increasing the standards to 21 by 2003 and back to 24 standards by 2004. Oraskovich said the reason is because the district needs time to work on math curriculum and develop new courses.

The district set high school graduation date for 2 p.m. May 27, 2001.

The district approved the superintendent's annual evaluation summary report, giving Oraskovich a 4.03 out of a possible 5 rating. He received mostly positive comments from the board. Board members added in the report that they would like him to work on the overall school climate, to continue to keep communication open within the district.

Oraskovich reported that the district has received the $100,000 McKnight Foundation matching grant for the new Lakes Area Family Center. The center still needs a few thousand dollars to complete the project.