Boots On the Ground
April 2026
Hello Everyone,
Things in USD 380 are as busy as ever. The recent weather has created a few challenges for us
but we are dealing with those to the best of our abilities. Our spring sports are up and running
full steam, and our clubs and other extracurricular activities are in the state level competitions
at this point. You probably have seen quite a bit of bus activity with all the activities we have.
Today I wanted to give everyone an update on where we are at in the bond process.
The first step in a bond referendum is to pick an architect. The district has done this. We
interviewed several and SPT is the firm selected. The next step is to select a construction
manage at risk commonly called a CMAR. This is a construction company. Architects design and
CMAR’s build. To select a CMAR there is a process laid out by the state. The CMAR applicants
will present to the Board of Education and the architects, and one is selected. These are
scheduled to happen in early May. This is where we are at, as of today.
One thing I like to tell people is that there still is not a set design or a set amount to be bonded.
We are not there yet. In the Army we look at the levels of projects and efficiency in three
phases: crawl-walk-run. The district is in the crawl phase which means we are taking input from
the site councils and the staff and public to address our needs. There are meetings about every
other week and we advertise those. There will be more public meetings to come as well. Thus
far, we have had great feedback. What we do know is our needs which have changed a bit since
the last bond. The school district was able to complete some of the projects since then, with
other funding methods.
If you want to be involved, call your school office. The Board of Education has not approved any
bond question yet. There is no price or design yet. The goal is to find a reasonable number of
projects to address the needs (current and future) at a price (bond amount) we feel we can live
with. Remember earlier I relayed my personal opinion on taxes. It should be noted that in a
bond referendum, the district is not raising taxes but giving the citizens the option to vote for or
against the proposed bond amount. (which is paid for by taxes) This is why I believe it is
important to be involved early and get all the information to our patrons.
The district cannot advertise for you to vote for the bond, this is not legal, but we can ask you
to vote. As a veteran I encourage everyone to vote as this is a sacred right that many have
fought for through history. I do not miss elections even when I am not overly engaged in the
candidates and positions etc. I exercise my right to vote. I have defended the constitution and
always will.
In closing I do want everyone to be informed and the school district is doing all we can to get
information to our patrons. I am hoping if you read the article you take some time to discuss
this with others. Feel free to push feedback to the schools, so we can navigate the process
together. After all, we are a public entity meaning that we really work for you.
Stay tuned and as we get more information, we will certainly share it.
Until next time,
Joel Bickford
Superintendent USD 380