An important component of the funding plan for the 2025 proposed referendum is a contingent $5 million grant from the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board (IRRR). Cook County ISD 166 Superintendent Chris Lindholm told Boreal Community Media that "Right after the Nov. 2024 referendum, the board asked me to pursue other funding sources to reduce the tax impact. We reached out to the IRRRB to submit a grant request." 

The district has stated that this grant will only be secured if voters approve the remaining $6.65 million bond. 

According to Lindholm, an additional $250,000 Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) grant to go towards the construction of outdoor learning spaces has also been awarded to the district, pending approval in the 2026 legislative session.

If the 2025 referendum is approved, the $6.65 million bond would fund several projects across the district:

• Arrowhead Center for the Arts: Modernizing the facility.

• Outdoor Learning Spaces and Accessibility: Creation and upgrade of outdoor learning environments and improvements to accessibility across the facilities.

• Athletics Facilities: Construction of a track and multi-use synthetic turf field, along with upgrades to the baseball field, including lighting, improved seating, and drainage.

The projects included in this referendum have been scaled back from the 2024 proposal. Specifically, the district has removed the gym stall from the past Question 3, along with the additional parking lot, a bus maintenance garage, and the road to it, according to Lindholm. 

The district estimates the tax impact on a median-valued $400,000 home to be approximately $4 per month starting in 2026. The district cites this cost as roughly half the amount of the proposed 2024 referendum.

Similar to the 2024 referendum, some community members have raised questions or concerns about why they are being asked to invest in athletics and arts. 

When asked about this, Lindholm shared that 77% of enrolled students participated in some type of sporting activity during the 2024-2025 year. Additionally, 447 total youth participated in some type of Community Education sporting activity that same year, marking a 67% increase over the 2023-2024 year. 

In an interview with Lindholm about the 2024 referendum, he responded to the same topic by saying, "There's significant demand for activities from our students and families. The district is responding to the demand."

"We know that arts, athletics, and activities aren’t just ‘extras’—they foster academic achievement, support mental well-being, and help students build confidence, creativity, teamwork, leadership, and other lifelong skills.  Activities cultivate positive relationships and help students connect to the greater community, which are key assets for being socially and mentally healthy," he told Boreal Community Media this month. 

A study conducted in 2023 and published in a 2024 volume of Applied Developmental Science found that when students participate in extracurricular activities, they develop a sense of belonging, which leads to lower levels of depression for up to two years following their involvement. Additionally, the impact was strongest for teens living in low socioeconomic status communities. 

Another study published in a November 2024 edition of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that middle school-aged children who regularly participated in a sport were more likely to get better grades and less likely to drop out of high school by their senior year. 

Lindholm shared in 2024 that even though the demand for extracurricular activities is up (and as of the time of publishing this article in 2025), space throughout the school grounds is limited to facilitate all the activities. 

Lack of space
One common example that Lindholm shared refers to doubleheaders due to the remoteness of Cook County. Due to limited space and a lack of amenities, the district uses the Cook County YMCA gym for three sports seasons. As part of the 2024 Question One referendum passage, a new auxiliary gym and additional locker rooms will be constructed. However, Lindholm said that even with the additional space, the YMCA will still need to be utilized to accommodate all the sporting activities.  

The lack of a track is also an issue. "For many of these kids, the first time they run on a track is during a competition, which puts them at a huge disadvantage. The same goes for the kids competing in long jump, for example," Lindholm said in 2024. For students in track and field, there isn't another option. Currently, the cross-country team occasionally travels to Two Harbors during the week to practice on their track. 

The proposed updates would provide places for students in track and field to practice all related activities. 

Artificial Turf

Before the 2024 referendum was voted on, community members expressed concerns over the proposed artificial turf. 

One of those concerns included the potential risk of increased injury to students on artificial turf. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine whether injuries increase on artificial turf, and the findings swing both ways (they increase risk of injury, or there isn't a correlation). The reason relates to the types of materials used in constructing the field and how well the artificial turf is maintained. Other factors include the type of sport and the level of play (high school versus college versus pro, for example).  

A 2023 study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine examined 53 articles published between 1972 and 2020, comparing overall injury rates and lower extremity (hip, knee, or foot and ankle) injury rates on artificial turf and natural grass. The study found that when looking at the total number of injuries across all types, the "majority of recent, high-tech artificial fields (New-Generation Turf) are generally found to be no more or less dangerous than natural grass."

Superintendent Lindholm shared in 2024 (and confirmed again this month) that, in conversations with other superintendents who oversee districts with artificial fields, they haven't seen an increase in injuries anecdotally. 

As for the District 166 proposed field, Lindholm shared that if approved, the artificial turf field "could be used year-round, essentially providing an additional field for softball, soccer, lacrosse, track & field, football, PE classes, and many other uses within the community."

Arrowhead Center for the Arts

The proposed improvements for the Arrowhead Center for the Arts (ACA) aim to modernize the facility, which was built in the late 1990s and now faces outdated technology that poses a risk of malfunction. 

Specifically, the renovation would include installing a catwalk system, updating the lighting and other technology, and adding a projection screen. Additionally, improvements to the space's versatility and accessibility are proposed, which include replacing some of the lower-level seating to allow for different stage configurations. The ACA is used not only by the school but also by the Grand Marais Playhouse and various local organizations throughout the entire year. 

Creating a sense of pride and improving economics

District 166's strategic plan, developed in 2022, aims to create a school environment that "cultivates pride and prepares students for success," viewing investment as necessary for both student achievement and community economics. According to the school district, cultivating this sense of pride leads to better social engagement and a positive school spirit, which encourages students to enjoy their experience and helps prevent behavioral problems. 

District officials also argue that for all Cook County voters, even those without school-age children, a strong school system is a powerful economic tool, helping to attract families, businesses, and industries that stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities. 

Voting

Voting for the 2025 referendum will be conducted as a special election by mail. Ballots are arriving in mailboxes beginning this week. Every registered voter is automatically scheduled to receive a ballot by mail. Ballots must be received by Election Day, November 4, 2025, to be counted. 

Unregistered voters may request an absentee ballot online via the Secretary of State’s website or by contacting the Cook County Auditor’s office. Absentee ballots can also be requested and completed in person at the auditor’s office during regular business hours.

Registered voters who do not receive, misplace, or cannot mail their ballot in time can vote in person before Election Day at the Cook County Courthouse (411 W. 2nd Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604) during regular business hours, or on Election Day.