News
Hawley Middle School Construction to Begin Early-2024; District Design Team Tours Schools
Hawley Public Schools has been busy working on the design phase of its upcoming school projects since the passing of the bond referendum in November 2022. Phase 1, which will include the elementary and high school, will be evaluated and move to a bidding process in late spring with construction starting summer of 2023.
Plans for a new middle school are underway as well. A Hawley Middle School Design Team of administrators and teachers started researching middle school design best practices and toured four schools in late December; one in Minnesota and three in North Dakota. Members of the design team touring schools included Kelly Anderson, Chris Ellingson, Molly Schenck, Scott Mies, Shannon Olson, Tracy Baxter, Jen Tjaden, Avery Thompson, and Brett Mayer-Schmit. Separate user groups from each building have also been meeting to provide further feedback, with a third meeting scheduled in February once plans are updated.
Three design team members recently shared their thoughts about the tours and their hopes for the new middle school. Technology Coordinator and Grade 5 STEAM Teacher, Tracy Baxter, said she was excited to see the innovative use of space in the schools they toured and to be able to take those ideas to the Hawley Schools. “One of the things I most appreciated about the tours is that it gave us the chance to dream big and then meet as a group to discuss what was realistic.”
High School Science Teacher, Molly Schenck, noted that while the group had a good idea of what they felt they needed prior to visiting the schools, they learned new things by seeing designs first-hand.”Touring the other schools has been an invaluable part of the planning process. It allowed us to see different building strategies in action, some of which we had considered and others that brought new ideas our way.”
“Touring other middle schools was very helpful,” FACS Instructor Shannon Olson reflected. “Not only were we able to get ideas for what could work for the building itself, but we were also given the opportunity to visit with other teachers and administrators about schedules, the flow of their day, and the concept for their middle school models”
The new middle school design process is ongoing with bidding scheduled for late summer to early fall 2023 and construction to start in the spring of 2024. Stay up-to-date on all of the school construction milestones and sign up for the e-newsletter at GoHawley.com.
High School, Elementary School Updates on Track
The High School and Elementary School Updates are on Track for construction to begin this summer. The High School user groups met on February 10 to view the updated renovation plans and provide further input on their work areas and may meet a final time to work out finishing touches of their workspace design. The Elementary School user group also met on February 10 to review changes made to building plans and provide further feedback on their workspaces. The group will meet a third time in March if needed once plans are updated.
Hawley Public Schools has been busy working on the design phase of its upcoming school projects since the passing of the bond referendum in November 2022. Phase 1, which will include the elementary and high school, will be evaluated and move to a bidding process in late spring with construction starting summer of 2023.
Plans for a new middle school are underway as well. A Hawley Middle School Design Team of administrators and teachers started researching middle school design best practices and toured four schools in late December; one in Minnesota and three in North Dakota. Members of the design team touring schools included Kelly Anderson, Chris Ellingson, Molly Schenck, Scott Mies, Shannon Olson, Tracy Baxter, Jen Tjaden, Avery Thompson, and Brett Mayer-Schmit. Separate user groups from each building have also been meeting to provide further feedback, with a third meeting scheduled in February once plans are updated.
Three design team members recently shared their thoughts about the tours and their hopes for the new middle school. Technology Coordinator and Grade 5 STEAM Teacher, Tracy Baxter, said she was excited to see the innovative use of space in the schools they toured and to be able to take those ideas to the Hawley Schools. “One of the things I most appreciated about the tours is that it gave us the chance to dream big and then meet as a group to discuss what was realistic.”
High School Science Teacher, Molly Schenck, noted that while the group had a good idea of what they felt they needed prior to visiting the schools, they learned new things by seeing designs first-hand.”Touring the other schools has been an invaluable part of the planning process. It allowed us to see different building strategies in action, some of which we had considered and others that brought new ideas our way.”
“Touring other middle schools was very helpful,” FACS Instructor Shannon Olson reflected. “Not only were we able to get ideas for what could work for the building itself, but we were also given the opportunity to visit with other teachers and administrators about schedules, the flow of their day, and the concept for their middle school models”
The new middle school design process is ongoing with bidding scheduled for late summer to early fall 2023 and construction to start in the spring of 2024. Stay up-to-date on all of the school construction milestones and sign up for the e-newsletter at GoHawley.com.
High School, Elementary School Updates on Track
The High School and Elementary School Updates are on Track for construction to begin this summer. The High School user groups met on February 10 to view the updated renovation plans and provide further input on their work areas and may meet a final time to work out finishing touches of their workspace design. The Elementary School user group also met on February 10 to review changes made to building plans and provide further feedback on their workspaces. The group will meet a third time in March if needed once plans are updated.
School bond sale results in taxpayer savings
February 14, 2023 (Hawley, MN) Taxpayers in the Hawley Public School District will pay about $8.4 million less than originally projected for a new middle school and upgrades to the high school approved by voters last year. The savings are due to a better than anticipated bond sale in January that allowed the district to raise the $53 million needed for the project but pay the bonds off in a shorter period of time.
Term of bond shortened by two years, tax impact decreases
Baird Public Finance, the district’s underwriter, finalized the pricing of the $52,950,000 bond issuance on Thursday January 7, 2023. The true interest cost (like a home mortgage interest rate) came in at 4.23%, 0.64% lower than the 4.87% rate originally structured at the time of referendum planning.
Because of the favorable bond structure, the term of the bond was reduced from 25 years to 23 years, realizing an overall tax savings of $8.4 million due to two fewer years of bond repayment. To read the entire news release, click on this link.
February 14, 2023 (Hawley, MN) Taxpayers in the Hawley Public School District will pay about $8.4 million less than originally projected for a new middle school and upgrades to the high school approved by voters last year. The savings are due to a better than anticipated bond sale in January that allowed the district to raise the $53 million needed for the project but pay the bonds off in a shorter period of time.
Term of bond shortened by two years, tax impact decreases
Baird Public Finance, the district’s underwriter, finalized the pricing of the $52,950,000 bond issuance on Thursday January 7, 2023. The true interest cost (like a home mortgage interest rate) came in at 4.23%, 0.64% lower than the 4.87% rate originally structured at the time of referendum planning.
Because of the favorable bond structure, the term of the bond was reduced from 25 years to 23 years, realizing an overall tax savings of $8.4 million due to two fewer years of bond repayment. To read the entire news release, click on this link.
Hawley Herald Guest Column, December 15, 2022
To the Hawley Area Community:
Thank you for your support in our recent building bond election. We are excited to move forward and are dedicated to being good stewards in overseeing the construction for the approved projects.
What’s Next?
Now that the referendum has passed, what are the next steps? Here is a rough outline of what you can expect in the coming months:
Winter-Spring 2023:
We will be updating all district stakeholders as we move through the design and construction process and invite you to sign up for our e-newsletter at gohawley.org. Information will not only be provided through this newsletter, but also on our referendum website (gohawley.org) and other sources such as social media and email.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have questions. We are grateful for your continued support of our Hawley students and staff.
Sincerely,
Phil Jensen
Hawley School District Superintendent
To the Hawley Area Community:
Thank you for your support in our recent building bond election. We are excited to move forward and are dedicated to being good stewards in overseeing the construction for the approved projects.
What’s Next?
Now that the referendum has passed, what are the next steps? Here is a rough outline of what you can expect in the coming months:
Winter-Spring 2023:
- Bonds are expected to be sold in January of 2023.
- The design process on our approved work has officially begun. With the assistance of design teams, we have begun to engage stakeholders for feedback and input. This design process is a phased approach that is expected to take 6-9 months to complete. We will continue to keep you updated as we move through this process.
- Summer 2023: Bid process for elementary and high school
- Fall 2023: Construction begins in elementary and high school; Bid process for middle school
- Winter-Spring 2024: Construction begins on middle school
- September 2025: Move-in/Occupancy
We will be updating all district stakeholders as we move through the design and construction process and invite you to sign up for our e-newsletter at gohawley.org. Information will not only be provided through this newsletter, but also on our referendum website (gohawley.org) and other sources such as social media and email.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have questions. We are grateful for your continued support of our Hawley students and staff.
Sincerely,
Phil Jensen
Hawley School District Superintendent
Hawley Community Supports Building of New Middle School; Does Not Approve Second Referendum Question
Hawley, MN (November 9, 2022) - Hawley Public Schools will see big changes in the next couple of years, with the construction of a new 5-8 grade middle school building, however the community did not approve the second question on the ballot. “The bond referendum question approved by a majority of voters in the Nov. 8 election will make a big difference in the learning environment for our students,” noted Hawley Public Schools Superintendent Phil Jensen. To read the entire news release, click on this link.
Hawley, MN (November 9, 2022) - Hawley Public Schools will see big changes in the next couple of years, with the construction of a new 5-8 grade middle school building, however the community did not approve the second question on the ballot. “The bond referendum question approved by a majority of voters in the Nov. 8 election will make a big difference in the learning environment for our students,” noted Hawley Public Schools Superintendent Phil Jensen. To read the entire news release, click on this link.