Q. What happens if the referendum fails?
A. If the referendum does not pass, our buildings’ needs will remain unaddressed with the current maintenance budget. This will leave our district with two options:
1) Divert money from the general fund for building maintenance.
2) Return to voters with a new referendum during a future election.
Historically, the school board has tried to avoid dipping into the general fund for maintenance because the general fund is predominantly used for personnel and curriculum. Using this money for maintenance would ultimately require cuts to these services that currently support our students.
If our district were to hold a new referendum, the earliest it could be held would be June 2026. This would require our district to fully repeat the process of obtaining estimates for maintenance and renovation, since the costs of labor and materials are likely to increase over the next year.
Remember, https://www.soaringforwardtogether.com/faqs has answers to other questions asked by our community about the referendum - go check them out!
Region Baseball Tournament Postponed to Thursday and Friday.
Since our district decided to hold the referendum, there are a few impending changes to state law that could impact the timeline and tax impact of the proposed improvements for our schools.
1) North Dakota's Primary Residence Property Tax Credit will increase from $500 per homestead to $1,600 per homestead in 2026 and 2027. While this credit does not specifically apply to special taxes like the referendum, it can be applied toward your general property taxes and thus reduce your overall taxes owed. There is no income limitation to qualify for this credit.
2) ND school districts are no longer allowed to hold special elections for school construction projects. All such elections must take place during a primary or general election. This means that if the referendum on June 10 does not pass, the earliest our district could propose an alternative investment plan to voters would be in June 2026. In this case, cost estimates for maintenance and renovations would need to be redone since costs are anticipated to rise over the next year.
3) Our district has been preparing to apply for a reduced interest rate of 2% for a portion of our investment plan's cost through North Dakota's School Construction Assistance Revolving Loan Fund. This year, lawmakers have lowered the amount that can qualify for this reduced rate from $15 million to $10 million. Our district still intends to apply for a reduced rate on $10 million of our plan's $19.9 million cost. PLEASE NOTE: Tax impact projections currently detailed on the tax impact page of the referendum website and tax calculator assume that our district will NOT receive this reduced rate. If our application is approved, the actual tax impact of the referendum would be lower than currently projected.
Visit https://soaringforwardtogether.com/ for more details on the referendum plan and tax impact.
Congrats Graduates!
TONIGHT: Stop by the High School study hall at 6:00 to speak with district leaders about the bond referendum!
Don't miss out on this chance to hear directly from the folks who use our schools every day about how the proposed plan would impact students. We can't wait to see you there!
🎓Big congratulations to three of our amazing staff members on their graduations this weekend! 🎉
👏🏻Miss Sandy graduated from VCSU with her degree in Elementary Education
👏🏻Ms. Nancy Feil earned her Master’s in Special Education from UND
👏🏻Mr. Jordan Braunberger received his Master’s in Counseling from UND
We’re so proud of all your hard work and dedication! ❤️
📄 Report cards went home today! If your child was absent, they can be picked up in the office anytime next week. Please note: teacher names for next year were not listed this time—you’ll hear directly from your child’s teacher this fall. Have a great summer! ☀️
Langdon Area Education Association is offering a scholarship to LAHS graduates currently pursuing an education degree. Applications due June 20.
K–3 Field Day Fun! ☀️
On Wednesday, our youngest Cardinals had a blast at their very own Field Day!
They split into teams and rotated through a variety of fun-filled stations led by teachers and paras. Here are a few snapshots from the day! 📸
Join us on Monday, May 19 for another in-person opportunity to learn about the upcoming bond referendum for our schools!
Stop by the High School study hall room 6:00-7:00 p.m. to chat with district leaders about the details of the proposed plan and the challenges the plan aims to address. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered -- we hope to see you there!
Track & Field Day for our 4th-6th graders was a BLAST! So much fun was had that we only managed to snap one group picture — oops! If you happened to catch any action shots, please send them to Mrs. Bata! 🏃♀️🏃♂️☀️🎉📸
Teachers—past and present—pooled their Perfect Blend gift certificates for one last coffee run to wrap up the year together! Thank you Miss Ostlie, Miss Howatt, Mrs. Schneider, and Mrs. Olson! ☕️🧋🏫
Teachers—past and present—pooled their Perfect Blend gift certificates for one last coffee run to wrap up the year together! Thank you Miss Ostlie, Miss Howatt, Mrs. Schneider, and Mrs. Olson! ☕️🧋🏫
Friendly Reminder for Parents:
As we wrap up the school year, please take a moment to check your child’s lunch account balance.
Important Notes:
🥪Any remaining balance WILL transfer to next school year.
🍎If your child’s account is below $5, you will continue to receive automated phone calls over the summer until the balance is above that amount.
🫛If you are moving or leaving the district, please contact the Business Office regarding your lunch account.
Thank you for staying on top of this—let’s head into summer with one less thing to worry about!
Updates:
Region Track has been moved to tomorrow (Wednesday) with a start time of 8:30 for field events and 9:30 for running.
Ticket prices are cheaper if you use the online link.
Cardinals Softball will host North Prairie tomorrow for a region tournament qualifier at 2:00 in Langdon.
Cardinal Golf qualifier will now be tomorrow @ Grafton.
Good luck to all!
Happy Speech-Language Pathologist Appreciation Day!
We are SO lucky to have the incredible Mrs. Rachelle Romfo and our amazing SLPAs Mrs. Brittney Feil and Miss Tara Pfeifer supporting our students every day! We appreciate you today and every day! 🗣️❤️📚🎉👏
State Music was a huge success this year. Many groups/ensembles and individuals performed amazing and represented Langdon Area HS.
The 4th Annual LAES Staff vs. 6th Graders Kickball Game is in the books — and the LAES Staff keeps the streak alive with a 20-4 victory! 💪
That’s 4 years, 4 wins for the staff! The 6th graders brought the hustle, but the staff brought the heat!🔥
Today, our 6th graders took a travel day to Grand Forks! The day consisted of a delightful picnic lunch, enjoying the beautiful outdoors and each other's company. 🧺🌳 Then they put their problem-solving skills to the test at the Grand Forks Escape Room. Each room offered unique challenges, and our students showed teamwork, creativity, and determination. 🧠🔍 A huge thank you to the staff at Grand Forks Escape Room for providing such an engaging experience and to everyone that helped make this field trip happen!
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! It’s •FRIENDS• Week at LAES!
The final day of Teacher Appreciation Week consisted of staff trivia, coffee, and conversation! ❓🧋🗣️
Final Day with Marcel... however, he's still missing!
#FindMarcel 🐒
