Minden Board Reviews Plan for New Elementary Building

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.

Board meeting centers on plan for new elementary building with an early $26.6 million estimate and five financing routes

The Minden Public Schools Board of Education spent the bulk of its August 11 meeting considering plans for a possible new elementary school that would attach to the existing middle school. An early high-end construction estimate of $26.6 million was presented, along with five distinct ways the district could pay for the project. The board moved quickly through routine business and then focused on design, cost, funding choices, and next steps for public outreach.

Key takeaways from the meeting

• An early high-end cost estimate for the project was presented at $26.6 million. The construction firm said this figure is based on current design details and that a more detailed plan will yield a tighter number.
• The district’s architect outlined why replacing the current elementary building is being considered, citing aging systems, limited classroom space, and a lack of expansion room without removing the playground and parking.
• A revised design would attach the new elementary wing to C.L. Jones Middle School, reduce the courtyard from an earlier 2023 plan, shrink the overall footprint compared with the 2023 proposal, and adjust art, music, and gym spaces.
• Changes in the layout aim to ease congestion at the elementary entrance and drop-off on 5th Street, while allowing for future classroom additions if needed.
• Five financing options were reviewed by a finance advisor, ranging from a full bond vote to several hybrid lease-purchase approaches and an interlocal long-term lease purchase that would rely on special building funds and tax credits.

Design and site details

The district’s architect said the current elementary building does not function well for today’s classroom needs. The structure is aging and has limited space for students and staff. Options to expand the current building are constrained because doing so would require taking over the playground and some parking spaces. The new plan would attach the elementary space to the middle school, reducing the courtyard area from an earlier design and making the whole plan smaller than a 2023 proposal. Room for art, music, and gym were adjusted in the revised layout. The updated plan is intended to relieve traffic and confusion at the 5th Street drop-off, and it preserves the possibility of adding classrooms later as enrollment or program needs change. The design will continue to evolve through talks with teachers to fine-tune classroom features and amenities.

Cost estimate and timeline cues

A construction firm provided a high-end estimate of $26.6 million and emphasized that the number is preliminary. The firm advised that a ground-up price will follow once plans are more detailed. To put a bond election on the November ballot, the board was told a committee kickoff on August 18 would be needed, with a formal announcement of intent possible the following month. Several steps were listed to inform voters, including a new project website, mailed brochures, townhall meetings, news media outreach, and the use of existing school communication channels. All official school communications would remain neutral while volunteers could use pro-bond messaging in their own activities. The construction firm would lead the public information effort and coordinate a committee and subcommittees of volunteers. The board asked that the committee mainly share facts instead of pushing persuasion and that outreach be measured to avoid overwhelming residents.

Financing options reviewed

A financial advisor laid out five funding paths:

• Option 1: A full bond vote to cover the project. This option carries the lowest overall interest cost by spreading repayment over many years and could be refinanced later to save money. The presentation noted the district could lower the levy for the special building fund until older bonds are paid off, producing a net zero levy increase to taxpayers.
• Option 2: A full-project bond using a wrap solution that requires interest-only payments on the new bonds until older bonds expire. This keeps the bond levy neutral but costs more in total interest than option 1, while avoiding a drop in the special building fund balance.
• Option 3: A hybrid lease purchase plus bond. A seven-year lease at current valuation could raise about $12 million, allowing the district to bond roughly half the project. The option would work alongside special building funds and includes tax credit benefits, with an estimated levy impact of 4.92 cents per $100 of assessed value listed in the materials.
• Option 4: A wrap-style hybrid like option 3 that defers some principal to avoid a sharp levy spike, which is less efficient overall.
• Option 5: A longer-term lease purchase through an interlocal agreement that uses special building funds and passes tax credits to taxpayers. This option would not use bond proceeds and was described as the most efficient and affordable path in the presentation if available.

Other board actions and next steps

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. After the presentations, the board approved amendments to multiple policies and adopted several new policies. The board also adopted a resolution to raise the district’s base growth percentage up to an additional 6 percent or other lawful maximum. The district finance officer was authorized to issue year-end payments for 2024-25, staff trainings for 2025-26 were approved, and the audit agreement for 2024-25 with an accounting firm was finalized. The board set its next regular meeting for Monday, September 8 at 7:00 pm in the high school media center.

Where to find more information

The district plans a public information campaign that will include an informational website, mailed brochures, townhall meetings, and use of existing school communication channels. Official school messages about the project will remain neutral, while volunteers may share their own views separately.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Project key features at a glance

Feature	Detail
Preliminary cost	$26.6 million (high-end estimate)
Site plan	Attach new elementary wing to C.L. Jones Middle School; reduced courtyard; adjusted art, music, gym spaces
Reason for new build	Current building aging, limited classrooms, no expansion room without sacrificing playground and parking
Traffic and access	New layout designed to reduce congestion at 5th Street drop-off
Financing options	Five options reviewed: full bond, wrapped bond, hybrid lease-plus-bond, wrapped hybrid, long-term lease with interlocal
Public outreach	Website, mailed brochures, townhalls, news and school communications; official communications neutral
Next board 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