Oakes Public School Referendum Project Moves Forward

By Anna Sell, Oakes Public School Superintendent

The Oakes Public School District continues to make steady progress on the voter-approved facilities referendum project, with several important milestones recently achieved. The project, which focuses on critical infrastructure improvements including HVAC upgrades

and kitchen renovations, has now entered the detailed design and preconstruction phase. One of the most significant actions taken by the School Board was the approval of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company as the district's Construction Manager at Risk (CMaR).

Following a competitive selection process, Kraus-Anderson was chosen based on its extensive experience working with K-12 school districts and its expertise in managing complex renovation projects while schools remain operational. The company has completed more than 260 K-12 construction projects totaling over $2.2 billion in recent years and brings substantial experience with school renovation and infrastructure improvement projects.

What Is Construction Manager at Risk?

A Construction Manager at Risk is different from the traditional design-bid-build process that many people are familiar with. Under the CMaR model, the construction manager joins the project team during the design phase and works alongside the architect and engineers before construction begins. This collaborative approach allows the construction manager to provide real-time cost estimates, evaluate building systems, identify potential challenges, and recommend solutions before work starts. The goal is to increase budget certainty, reduce surprises during construction, and improve overall project efficiency. Ultimately, the CMaR approach helps protect taxpayer dollars by ensuring that decisions are made with both design quality and construction costs in mind.

Low-Interest State Loan Provides Major Savings

Another positive development for the project is the district's opportunity to utilize a North Dakota state loan program with an interest rate of just 2 percent. This financing option is significantly below typical municipal borrowing costs and will save local taxpayers a substantial amount of money over the life of the project (approximately $2-2.5 million). Interest rates have a major impact on the total cost of a construction project. By securing financing at 2 percent rather than financing entirely through higher-rate market borrowing, the district will reduce long-term interest expenses and maximize the value of every local tax dollar invested in the project. This favorable financing option was one of the factors that made it advantageous for the district to move forward with the project at this time.

Design Work Is Underway

The project is currently in the design and preconstruction phase. During this stage, the district's architect, ICON Architectural Group, engineering consultants from Prairie Engineering, Oakes Public Schools facilities team, and the Kraus-Anderson team are working together to finalize project details, review building systems, and refine cost estimates before construction begins.

This collaborative process includes:• Detailed evaluation of existing building systems.

• Design development for HVAC improvements and kitchen renovations.

• Construction phasing plans to minimize disruption to students and staff.

• Cost estimating and budget verification.

• Identification of opportunities to maximize project value while staying within budget.

As plans continue to advance, the project team will review design options and ensure all aspects of the project align with the district's educational and operational needs.

Looking Ahead

The coming months will focus on completing design development and preparing final construction documents. Once designs are finalized, the project team will establish pricing, bid work packages to contractors, and finalize the construction schedule. The district anticipates entering the bidding process in January 2027, with construction expected to begin in spring 2027 following completion of design development and final pricing. Construction activities will be carefully coordinated to minimize disruptions to students, staff, and school operations. The district will continue to provide community updates as key project milestones are reached.

Investing in Oakes' Future

The referendum project represents a significant investment in the future of Oakes Public Schools. The improvements will address aging building systems, improve efficiency and reliability, enhance learning environments, and help ensure that school facilities continue serving students and the community for many years to come.

The School Board and administration appreciate the support of residents and taxpayers throughout this process. By combining careful planning, experienced project partners, and low-cost state financing, the district is committed to delivering a project that maximizes long-term value for the community while being responsible stewards of taxpayer resources. 

The district looks forward to sharing additional updates as the project continues to move forward.