2026 Capital Projects Levy
Maintaining safe, functional schools
Proposition 1, the Capital Projects Levy, on the November 2026 ballot would provide local funding for safety and security upgrades, major maintenance projects, and facility improvements throughout the Monroe School District from 2027-2030.
The state does not fully fund school construction, major repairs, or facility improvements. Local voters decide how and when to invest in maintaining and improving school facilities.
The proposed four-year levy would address the most urgent facility needs across the district, including safety and security updates, major maintenance projects, and the relocation of Sky Valley Education Center to an updated Wagner Center site.
From a Long-Term Bond to a Focused Capital Levy
In February 2026, Monroe School District voters considered a 20-year school construction bond that would have funded approximately $152 million in school improvements, including major maintenance projects, safety and security upgrades, and facility improvements across the district.
While the bond measure was not approved by voters, the facility needs it was designed to address remain. School buildings continue to require ongoing maintenance, safety upgrades, and repairs to remain safe, functional, and efficient for students and staff.
Following the election, the district conducted community outreach to better understand voter priorities and identify a path forward for addressing the district's most urgent facility needs.
We Listened: Community Feedback Shaped This Proposal
Following the February 2026 bond election, Monroe School District collected community feedback to better understand voter priorities.
What We Heard
- Reduce the length of the tax commitment
- Focus on the district's highest-priority facility needs
- Take a phased approach to facility improvements
- Reduce overall project costs compared to the 2026 bond proposal
How This Proposal Responds
- Reduces the overall investment from approximately $152 million to $49 million
- Replaces a 20-year bond proposal with a four-year levy
- Focuses on the most urgent safety, maintenance, and facility needs
- Addresses critical facility challenges through a phased approach
The proposed Capital Facilities Levy was developed in response to community feedback while continuing to address the district's most pressing facility needs.
In response to that feedback, the district developed a four-year Capital Projects Levy proposal that focuses on the most urgent facility needs. The proposed levy would provide approximately $49 million total in local funding from 2027 through 2030, significantly reducing the overall investment compared to the previous bond proposal while addressing the most critical safety, maintenance, and facility needs.
A significant portion of the proposed levy funding would support the relocation of Sky Valley Education Center to an updated Wagner Center site, while also funding major maintenance projects, safety and security improvements, and other priority facility updates throughout the district.
Collection Years and Estimated Rates
The proposed four-year Capital Projects Levy would collect approximately $49 million over four years to fund priority safety, maintenance, and facility improvement projects across the district. The levy is estimated to cost property owners an average of $0.88 per $1,000 of assessed value over the four-year collection period, with annual rates projected to decrease each year as property values increase.
| Collection Year | Levy Amount | Estimated rate per $1,000 of AV |
| 2027 | $12,282,731 | $0.95 |
| 2028 | $12,282,731 | $0.90 |
| 2029 | $12,282,731 | $0.86 |
| 2030 | $12,282,731 | $0.82 |
How Levy Funds Would be Invested
The proposed Capital Facilities Levy focuses on preserving and extending the life of existing district facilities while addressing the most urgent safety, maintenance, and facility needs. By investing in major maintenance and repairs today, the district can help avoid more costly repairs and replacements in the future while maintaining safe, functional learning environments for students and staff.
The proposed Capital Projects Levy would fund projects in four key categories.
| Project Category | Estimated Investment |
| Safety & Security Improvements | $2.6 million |
| Major Maintenance Projects | $9.4 million |
| Sky Valley Education Center Relocation to Wagner Center | $30.3 million |
| Facility Improvements | $6.8 million |
| Total | $49.1 million |
Safety and Security Improvements
Safe, secure schools are essential for student learning and well-being. These improvements focus on preventing unauthorized access, improving emergency response systems, and ensuring all students can safely access school facilities. Safety and security improvements include:
- Secure entrance vestibule additions (Chain Lake, Fryelands, Monroe High)
- Fire and security alarm system updates (Chain Lake, Fryelands)
- Fire sprinkler system repairs and replacements (Hidden River, Maltby)
- Playground replacements for ADA accessibility (Maltby, Salem Woods)
- Stairway safety improvements (Park Place)
Major Maintenance Projects
Ongoing maintenance protects our community’s school buildings, prevents more costly repairs in the future, and ensures facilities remain safe and functional for students and staff. Major maintenance projects include:
- Roof repairs and replacements (Fryelands, Hidden River-original wing, Maltby, Monroe High, Transportation)
- HVAC system updates (Maltby)
- Water main replacement (Chain Lake)
- Turf field and tennis court repairs (Park Place, Monroe High)
- Interior/exterior paint touch-up (Monroe High)
- Boiler replacement (Maltby)
- Clock system replacement (Monroe High)
- Stage drapery replacements to meet fire codes (Frank Wagner, Salem Woods)
Sky Valley Education Center Relocation to Updated Wagner Center Site
Most of the current Sky Valley Education Center campus was built in the 1960s and faces significant facility challenges. Aging infrastructure, including roofing, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and fire systems, is beyond its expected lifespan. The campus also requires accessibility upgrades, gym improvements, and expanded parking to better serve students and staff.
In addition, the original buildings contain hazardous materials commonly used in construction during that era, including asbestos, PCBs, and lead. The district must continue environmental testing, mitigation, and related maintenance to keep the site safe. Over the past two years, these efforts and associated legal costs have totaled approximately $1.3 million. While necessary to maintain a safe learning environment, these ongoing costs are not a sustainable long-term investment in the future of the facility.
Why Relocate?
The extensive repairs needed at the current campus make renovation impractical. Instead, the district is proposing to relocate Sky Valley Education Center to a modernized Wagner Center site on Main Street. The Wagner Center project allows the district to replace a large, aging campus with a smaller, right-sized facility that can be modernized more efficiently and operated at a lower long-term cost.
The project would preserve the historic Wagner Center and Monroe Performing Arts Center facades while modernizing the Wagner Center interior with upgraded building systems, new roofing, energy-efficient windows, and required hazardous-material abatement. The project would also remove the Annex building and add an approximately 20,000-square-foot modular building with classrooms and offices, and an approximately 8,000-square-foot modular woodshop classroom.
The updated Wagner Center campus would provide approximately 50,500 square feet of modern learning space, representing about 60% of the size of the current 84,997-square-foot Sky Valley Education Center campus. The new facility is designed to better align with current program needs while reducing long-term operating and maintenance costs.The project would create a safe, efficient, and sustainable learning environment while making the best use of existing district-owned facilities.
Facility Improvements
These projects address specific facility needs across the district, supporting student programs, improving energy efficiency, and maintaining safe, usable spaces for learning and play.
- Addition of a gym at Frank Wagner Elementary School - Frank Wagner Elementary currently uses the Wagner Center gym for P.E. classes. If Sky Valley moves into Wagner Center, Frank Wagner would need an additional gym on their campus to serve the number of required P.E. classes each day.
- Replace lighting with energy-efficient LED (Fryelands, Frank Wagner-original wing)
Projects + Costs by Location
The following projects represent the district's highest priority capital facility needs. Cost figures are planning estimates and will be refined through design, bidding, and project implementation. Actual project costs may vary.
To account for inflation, construction cost escalation, and project timing over the four-year levy period, the district has included an escalation allowance for all proposed major maintenance projects.
Total estimated cost of all projects: $49,130,924
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Coming soon as questions arise!