MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — Marshalltown voters will be deciding on a multi-million-dollar bond referendum to help the school district renovate a historic building.

Miller Middle School was constructed in 1925 and served as a high school, a community college, and a junior high school before becoming a middle school. Today, the school is home to about 800 seventh and eighth graders.

Theron Schutte is the current Superintendent of the Marshalltown Community School District. He walked those same hallways as a student in the junior high school.

“When I go through the building, it brings back vivid memories of when I attended school here, but there’s no question that the building is so old and tired and worn out, and it’s due to be completely reimagined,” he said.

The district is hoping to put $106 million toward renovating the school. Part of the funding will come from the state, but voters will get to decide if the school can use $57 million in an upcoming bond referendum.

The district said its goal is to construct a new education wing with a secure entrance, commons area, kitchen, gymnasium, and administrative supporter center. The school’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems would all be upgraded, and classrooms and other shared spaces would be expanded and modernized to meet current teaching practices and technology standards.

Bond revenue would also be used to remodel the historic auditorium, gymnasium, and Franklin Field, as well as provide audio/visual elements in elementary schools.

Bond referendums require supermajority approval of at least 60 percent to pass. The tax impact of an approved referendum would be an estimated $1.28 per year on every $1,000 of taxable property value. For a home with an assessed value of $200,000, this would amount to approximately $112.43 annually, or just under $10 monthly.

While some oppose the tax, others, like April McKibbin, are in support of it.

“The building is phenomenal. My husband and I walked these halls. My mother-in-law worked here. So, to create some life back into this building would be great. I would love for my younger son to explore that opportunity when he moves up,” she said.

The building was renovated twice before. In the 1950s, the southmost wing was added which housed a cafeteria and kitchen at that time. Then in 2005, the new entrance and additional classrooms were built.

On the exterior of the school, you can see the words “high school” engraved over one of the building’s entrances, as a nod to the school’s original purpose. Parts of the school’s interior showcase ceiling architecture popular in the 1920s. Plus, the building’s auditorium holds hundreds of alumni signatures. It’s become a tradition for some students, especially those active in theater, to sign the walls of certain parts of the stage. Some signatures date back to the 1990s.

Outside of decoration and graffiti, there are also visible examples of the need for renovation. On the building’s exterior, some steps have been decimated over the years. As a result, they are blocked off with caution tape to avoid injury.

The school auditorium is another example where change is needed. There are parts of the ceiling and walls that leak during rainfall as a result of the 2018 Marshalltown tornado. Furthermore, many seats in the audience are broken and have to be blocked off.

The width of the school hallways is also a cause for concern. The school tried to remedy this issue by positing signs controlling traffic. For example, one staircase is only for students heading upstairs, while another is for students heading downstairs. Despite staff trying to control crowds, the hallways are still thin, and accidental pushing is common.

The district says the largest need is an update to classrooms. According to Schutte, the average classroom size in Miller Middle School is 700 square feet, while the standard classroom size today is between 900 and 1,000 square feet, or 1,200 square feet for exploratory classes.

Eighth-grade English teacher, Lucas Johnson, said he has to alter his curriculum and teaching style to account for the space in his classroom.

“From a teaching perspective, there are things that we like to be able to do in a classroom space for 21st-century learning that we can’t always accomplish in the spaces that we have. So, having that room to learn and to spread out is important for any educational experience,” said Johnson.

Mold is another concern. The band teacher said her largest class this year has 80 students, and she has to keep three dehumidifiers running at all times to create a comfortable space for learning.

The district posted a tour of the school on its website to show the community how the building can be improved. There are also preliminary renderings on the same page to show what it could look like.

The district said it’ll be cheaper to renovate Miller Middle School than it would be to build a new one. The Superintendent says a new building with the same amenities as the current middle school will cost $18 million to $20 million more.

Schutte also said a new building will have to be constructed on the southside of Marshalltown, while 75% of the school’s students live on the northside.

Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5th. For more information on how to vote in Marshall County, click here.