Annandale residents to vote on tax increase for new school

Voters in the south central Minnesota town of Annandale will head to the polls Thursday to decide whether to raise their own property taxes to raise money for a new school.

The district wants to replace an elementary school that's only 40 years old - but it was built during a short-lived experiment called 'open schools.' That meant the building was like a big warehouse with no interior walls.

There are now temporary walls in place, but superintendent Steve Niklaus said you can still hear what's going on next door.

"We've had architects look at options for correcting that, by redesigning and putting additions on," Niklaus said. "They've also looked at options for replacement, and the replacement options are almost the same cost."

Voters will decide whether to approve $30 million for the new school. The election comes months after a $45 million bond failed, though Niklaus adds that vote occurred at the height of last winter's banking crisis.