2026 Bond Referendum

The purpose is to give Madrid students a stronger path from the classroom to a career while also improving the spaces they use every day. The plan supports career training, student activities, fine arts, physical education, athletics, building comfort, traffic flow, and long-term facility maintenance.

The plan includes a Career Academy addition, culinary arts classroom, agriculture/shop space, health sciences simulation lab, business hub, renovated band/vocal space, renovated weight room, multi-purpose room addition, locker room renovation, gym HVAC upgrades, south classroom wing improvements, fire alarm upgrades, corridor improvements, parking and traffic flow improvements, and related building updates. The final master project list identifies approximately $11.3 million in total Junior/Senior High School improvements.

A Career Academy is a dedicated space for hands-on learning tied to real career pathways. It allows students to learn by doing, explore future careers, and build practical skills before graduation.

The district completed a facility assessment, staff engagement, task force work, community feedback, and master planning. That process identified a need to improve career learning spaces, student activity spaces, HVAC systems, locker rooms, traffic flow, and other high-use areas of the Junior/Senior High School.

The plan supports career-connected learning in healthcare, agriculture, skilled trades, culinary arts, business, industrial technology, and related programs.

The plan includes a health sciences simulation lab modeled after a real healthcare setting. This would support students pursuing CNA certification and other healthcare-related credentials while still in high school.

The plan creates dedicated agriculture and shop space for FFA, industrial technology, and skilled trades coursework. These spaces would give students more room for hands-on learning in areas that are in demand across rural Iowa.

General Obligation Bonds in Iowa are required by state law to achieve 60% voter approval. This threshold exists because GO bonds are repaid through property taxes, and the higher bar ensures broad community support before that obligation is made. The district has structured this plan to be tax neutral — meaning passing the bond extends the current levy rate at no increase.

The plan includes a dedicated culinary arts classroom where students could gain practical food service experience and pursue restaurant-industry certifications before they graduate.

No. The plan supports students headed to college, trade school, certification programs, apprenticeships, military service, or directly into the workforce. The goal is to give every Madrid graduate more options and a stronger head start.

Career learning has changed. Students need spaces where they can practice real skills, use industry-relevant equipment, earn credentials, and connect classroom learning to future opportunities.

SAVE stands for Secure an Advanced Vision for Education — Iowa's statewide penny sales tax dedicated to school infrastructure. Unlike the GO bond, which is repaid through property taxes, SAVE revenue comes from sales tax collected across the state and flows back to districts based on enrollment. The district's SAVE allocation funds $16.6 million of this plan. Because it draws on sales tax rather than property tax, it does not affect local property tax rates.

It gives students earlier exposure to career pathways, more hands-on experience, and better access to programs that can lead to certifications, college credit, apprenticeships, or workforce opportunities.

The current weight room is limited in size and function. A larger, modern weight room would improve safety, access, and training opportunities for students across physical education, wellness, and every sport.

No. It would support athletics, physical education, strength and conditioning, wellness, and student health. The goal is to create a safer and more functional space for students.

A multi-purpose room would provide dedicated practice and activity space for wrestling, cheer, dance, physical education, and other programs. It would also reduce pressure on existing gym space and expand opportunities for students to participate.

The multi-purpose room gives these programs a dedicated space instead of forcing them to compete for limited gym time. This creates better scheduling, safer practices, and more consistent access for students.

The plan renovates the existing shop area into a more functional band and vocal space. This improves the daily learning environment for music and performing arts while allowing the existing music room to become a renovated weight room.

No. The plan includes career education, health sciences, culinary arts, agriculture, skilled trades, business, fine arts, physical education, locker rooms, activity space, HVAC, fire alarm upgrades, parking, traffic flow, and general building improvements.

In 2022, the district updated the HVAC in the north classroom wing of the high school. Because those systems were recently replace, that area is not included in this project.

The remaining portions of the original 1969 high school – including the band and vocal rooms, gymnasium, locker rooms, south classroom wing, and shop – still rely on their original HVAC systems. These systems are well beyond their expected service life, replacement parts are increasingly difficult to obtain, and continued maintenance has become more challenging and costly.  

The plan includes HVAC improvements in the gym, south classroom wing, office area, career-related spaces, and other areas connected to the overall Junior/Senior High School improvement plan.

The gym is used for physical education, practices, games, school events, and community activities. Dedicated cooling and dehumidification would make the space more comfortable and usable throughout the year.

The plan includes a fire alarm upgrade to a voice system, traffic flow improvements, parking lot improvements, a widened driveway, and building system upgrades that support safer daily operations.

The existing locker rooms are original to the 1969 building. Renovating them would improve accessibility, function, supervision, safety, and daily use for students.

The plan includes widening the driveway, adding a turning lane, expanding parking, and restriping the parking lot to improve circulation and support the new entrance location.

No. This is a comprehensive plan built around student opportunity, safety, building function, and responsible maintenance. It addresses spaces and systems that no longer fully support the way students learn, train, perform, and participate today.

The Junior/Senior High School is a major community asset. This plan takes care of a building Madrid has already invested in while updating key spaces so the facility can better serve students for years to come.

The plan was developed through a facility assessment, staff input, task force meetings, community feedback, and board discussion. The process focused on building a clear, shared vision for the future of the district.

Community feedback showed strong support for weight room expansion, career labs, HVAC upgrades, locker room updates, and multi-purpose activity space. In April 2026 feedback exercise, weight room expansion, HVAC upgrades, and career labs received some of the highest priority scores.

Staff feedback identified career labs, weight room improvements, and a gymnatorium or additional flexible space as top priorities.

The plan brings together many of the themes heard during planning: more hands-on career learning, updated building systems, better activity spaces, improved fine arts space, safer locker rooms, and improved traffic flow

Yes. The planning process reviewed different project options, layouts, scope priorities, and ways to balance cost, student need, and long-term value before moving toward the current master plan.

The plan is designed not to raise the property tax rate. This is a key part of the district’s funding strategy and community message.

No. Individual tax bills can still change because of property assessments or other factors outside this project. The important point is that this plan is designed not to increase the school district’s property tax rate.

The district plans to use a combination of existing school infrastructure resources and voter-approved bonding capacity to complete the plan while maintaining the current property tax rate.

Voter approval allows the district to move forward with the comprehensive plan at the scale needed to address career learning, building systems, activities, locker rooms, fine arts, safety, and traffic flow together.

The needs don't go away. Every space included in the proposed renovations has an HVAC system original to the building's 1969 construction. The band and vocal rooms, gym, locker rooms, shop, and south classroom wing were intentionally selected because they already require significant infrastructure improvements. These are not cosmetic upgrades—they are necessary investments to replace aging building systems that are well beyond their expected service life.

No. The current plan is a master plan. If the bond is approved, the district would move into more detailed design, where layouts, materials, phasing, and final details would be refined.

Yes. Clear communication will be important throughout the process. The district should continue sharing project scope, cost, tax impact, schedule, and design updates as the plan moves forward.

The plan supports career education, healthcare, culinary arts, agriculture, trades, business, music, performing arts, physical education, classroom comfort, safety, and student wellness. It is designed to benefit a broad range of students.

Younger students will eventually move into the Junior/Senior High School. This plan helps ensure they have stronger career pathways, better activity spaces, improved learning environments, and a well-maintained building when they get there.

Strong schools help support strong communities. This plan helps Madrid provide more opportunities for students, maintain an important community asset, and strengthen the district’s ability to serve families into the future.

The school district is one of the community’s most important public assets. Investing in student opportunity, career readiness, and responsible facility care helps support the long-term strength and vitality of Madrid.

Madrid CSD is proposing a comprehensive plan to help students prepare for real careers, improve safety and activity spaces, update aging building systems, and take care of the Junior/Senior High School — without raising the property tax rate

Madrid CSD is asking voters to consider a November 2026 bond referendum that would support a comprehensive improvement plan for the Junior/Senior High School. The plan is focused on hands-on career learning, safer and more functional student activity spaces, updated building systems, and responsible care of the school facility.