To the Editor:

To keep pace with surrounding districts, making significant, long-term investments in our Robbinsdale Area Schools is essential. It has been 45 years since our district’s last voter-approved building bond. Meanwhile, our neighbors are making major investments. Osseo Area Schools recently passed a massive $223 million building bond referendum ($375 million when combined with prior referendum) to construct a new $27 million community learning center, build a new elementary school, and expand Maple Grove, Osseo, and Park Center High Schools. Wayzata is also continually executing multi-million-dollar high school additions.

Opponents often point out that our district has spent over $88 million on improvements over the last 20 years. However, spreading an average of $4.4 million a year across dozens of aging facilities barely covers routine repairs and deferred maintenance—it doesn’t keep pace with 21st-century safety, technology or educational standards.

Voting “Yes” on the referendum allows the district to right-size, secure, and modernize our facilities. Unifying our high school program into a modern facility will bring our community together, providing equal access to academics, career pathways, hands-on learning, and extracurriculars. Crucially, updating our facility footprint frees up operational funds currently wasted on maintaining underutilized, aging structures — shifting those dollars back into classrooms and programs where they belong.

The alternative is costly. If this referendum fails, the district will face deeper cuts to staff, academic programs, student busing and extracurricular activities, alongside disruptive boundary redraws that risk driving families away. Strong schools attract families, support local property values and maintain a thriving community. Incremental maintenance is no longer enough to support our students or protect our tax base.

As a parent of a Robbinsdale graduate, I’ve seen how vital strong community backing is to student success. Our kids deserve safe, modern learning spaces that match neighboring standards. Please join me in voting “YES” on or before November 3 for a stronger Rdale.

Brian Hanf

Crystal