Minden, August 20, 2025
News Summary
The Minden school board reviewed a proposal to build a new elementary wing attached to the middle school, prompted by an aging elementary facility and limited expansion options. BD Construction provided an early high-end cost estimate of $26.6 million, and a financial advisor outlined five financing approaches, including full bond funding, bond wraps, lease purchases, and interlocal agreements. The board approved routine business, policy updates, and steps to refine designs with teacher input. A public outreach plan was presented to keep communications neutral while volunteers could form an advocacy committee if the district pursues a bond vote.
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Updated: August 20, 2025 @ 6:43 am.
Minden school board weighs new elementary building with early $26.6 million estimate and five financing paths
The Minden Public Schools Board of Education spent much of its August 11 meeting reviewing a plan to build a new elementary school attached to the middle school and hearing how the district might pay for it. An early high-end cost estimate was presented at the meeting and a separate finance firm outlined five different funding approaches for the project.
Key takeaways
Estimate presented: An early, high-end construction estimate of $26.6 million for the new building.
Financing options: Five financing approaches were laid out, ranging from a full bond to various lease purchase and wrap solutions, and a longer-term lease through an interlocal.
Next steps: If the board wants a November bond vote, a committee kickoff on August 18 and a formal announcement the following month were recommended. A public information campaign would include a website, mailed brochures, townhalls and neutral official communications.
What was presented about the building
The district’s architect explained that the current elementary building is aging, has limited classroom space and does not fit modern educational needs. The existing site offers little room to expand without removing the playground and some parking.
The preferred plan would attach a new elementary wing to the C.L. Jones Middle School. The plan has been reduced and revised since a 2023 proposal: the courtyard is smaller, overall square footage is less, and art, music and gym spaces have been adjusted. The updated layout aims to ease congestion at the elementary drop-off on 5th Street and leaves room for future classroom expansion if needed.
Design details will be refined with input from teachers to determine classroom amenities and final room layouts before a final cost estimate is prepared.
Cost and timeline guidance from the builder
BD Construction provided the early high-end estimate of $26.6 million and stressed the number is preliminary and based on current details. A more detailed plan will produce a more accurate estimate. BD Construction also offered to lead much of the public information effort and to coordinate volunteer committees and subcommittees to keep outreach on task.
The builder ran board exercises during the meeting to map out how a public campaign could look. Board members favored a mostly neutral committee focused on sharing facts rather than actively persuading voters and asked that official school communications remain neutral. Volunteers could use pro-bond messaging on their own, while district channels would limit themselves to neutral information.
Financing options explained
A finance advisor from DA Davidson presented five general ways the district could fund the project:
- Option 1 — Full bond: Bond vote for the full project amount. This offers the lowest true interest cost by spreading repayment over many years and allows the possibility of refinancing later. With this option the special building fund levy would be lowered until current bonds are paid off, creating a net zero levy increase for taxpayers in the near term.
- Option 2 — Full bond with wrap: A full project bond structured so only interest is paid on the new bonds until old bonds retire. This keeps the bond levy neutral but increases total interest compared with Option 1.
- Option 3 — Lease purchase plus bond: Combine a seven-year lease purchase at current valuation to provide roughly $12 million and bond the remainder. This could let the district bond about half the project cost and provide tax credit benefits tied to the special building fund. An estimated levy impact of 4.92 cents was shown for this option.
- Option 4 — Lease purchase plus wrap: Similar to Option 3 but with a wrap to defer some principal and avoid a sharp levy spike. This is less efficient and results in higher overall cost than a straight bond.
- Option 5 — Longer-term lease via interlocal: Pay with special building funds and an interlocal lease purchase, passing tax credits to taxpayers. This approach would not use bond funds and was presented as the most efficient and affordable if a bond were approved.
Public outreach and election schedule
Presenters urged the board to consider an August 18 kickoff meeting for a bond committee if the board wants to pursue a November election. A formal announcement of the district’s intent could follow the kickoff. Outreach plans include a project website, mailed brochures, townhall meetings, news media briefings and use of existing school communications. The district emphasized that its official communications must remain neutral.
Other board actions
The board approved the consent agenda quickly at the start of the meeting. The consent items included minutes from July 14 and July 29, financial reports, and expenditures and claims for payment. Later actions included approving amendments to multiple policy numbers and adopting several new policies, authorizing a payment officer to issue year-end bill payments, approving staff trainings for 2025-26 and accepting the 2024-25 audit agreement. The board also passed a resolution to increase the district’s base growth percentage up to an additional 6 percent or to the maximum allowed by law.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 8 at 7:00 pm in the high school media center.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the estimated cost of the proposed elementary building?
The early high-end estimate presented at the meeting was $26.6 million, with a note that this figure is preliminary and a detailed plan could change the number.
2. What financing choices are on the table?
Five options were presented: a full bond, a full bond with a wrap, a combined lease purchase and bond, a combined lease purchase with a wrap, and a longer-term lease purchase through an interlocal that would not rely on bond funds.
3. How would taxes be affected?
Effects vary by option. A straight bond can spread costs and was presented as possibly creating a net zero levy increase in the short term by lowering the special building fund levy until current bonds are retired. Other options showed different levy impacts, and one example in the presentation estimated a 4.92 cent levy impact for a combined lease-plus-bond approach.
4. What public outreach will be done?
Plans include creating a website, mailing brochures, holding townhall meetings, using news media and district communications. Official district messages must remain neutral while volunteers may advocate independently.
5. When could voters be asked to approve a bond?
The firm suggested an August 18 committee kickoff if the board aims for a November bond election, followed by a formal announcement the next month.
Quick reference — Project features and board actions
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Early cost estimate | $26.6 million (high-end, preliminary) |
| Attachment site | New elementary wing attached to C.L. Jones Middle School |
| Design changes | Smaller than 2023 plan; reduced courtyard; adjusted art/music/gym spaces; allows future expansion |
| Public outreach | Website, brochures, townhalls, media, neutral school communications |
| Financing options | Five options: bond, bond wrap, lease+bond, lease+wrap, interlocal lease purchase |
| Board consent items | Approved minutes, financial reports, expenditures and claims |
| Other approvals | Policy amendments and adoptions, audit agreement, staff trainings, base growth resolution |
| Next meeting | Monday, September 8 at 7:00 pm in the high school media center |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- The Minden Courier: Minden Board Reviews Plan for New Elementary Building
- Wikipedia: School Bond
- KTBS: Former Claiborne Educator Accused of Inappropriate Behavior
- Google Search: Claiborne educator accused student
- Kearney Hub: Local Education News
- Google Scholar: school construction financing
- Nevada Appeal: Minden Elementary Kicks Off Program
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Elementary education
- KSLA: Former Homer Educator Arrested; Alleged Molestation
- Google News: educator arrested molestation child
