Questions & Answers
Regarding Jefferson Elementary School

This page is dedicated to answering questions that have been raised regarding the vote on October 20th to  place a bid for Jefferson Elementary School. 

Do you have a question about the potential purchase of the old Jefferson Elementary school? Ask your question in the box below.

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Background

The Merrill Area Public Schools (MAPS) has approached Trinity Merrill Lutheran Church to determine its interest in purchasing the Jefferson Elementary School Building. As our congregational leaders have been assessing the long-term viability of our current aging school building, this new opportunity presents an ideal time to consider a solution that secures our ability to deliver on our mission of providing Christian education for future generations.

Although pastoral leadership and the church council are in support of this purchase, the ultimate decision lies within the entire congregation for approval. On October 20, following the 10:30 service, we will hold a special congregational meeting. We encourage you to attend to learn more and to cast your vote on this important milestone for Trinity Merrill.

In helping you prepare, below is list of commonly asked questions and answers.

Why is this something we are considering now?

We have always recognized that maintaining an aging building is more expensive than a newer building. For instance, we are not currently meeting standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and with the possibility of School Choice regulations in the future, we may be required to convert our current building to be fully ADA compliant, an expense that would be financially challenging and that could jeopardize the future of our school.

Considering this reality, the purchase of the Jefferson Elementary School provides an ideal opportunity to secure a building at a reasonable price that is half the age of our current building.  Although some renovations would be required for the Jefferson building, these improvements would be more cosmetic in nature, as compared to the more dramatic and costly expenses we may face in keeping up our current building in the future.

How does this purchase further the mission and goals of our congregation?

This opportunity supports our mission of providing Christian education, not only now, but for generations to come.  As our current school is not ADA compliant, and we have had to turn away students.

What are some of the benefits to students and the congregation of making this purchase?

We have so many options to consider as a congregation for how to best utilize the new school.  As we compare however to our limitations in our current building, potential uses for the new building could include a science lab, art room, library and music room.  These additional experiences for our students even better prepare them for the future, and also serve as an incentive in attracting new teachers.

What can I do to help?

  1. Pray.  Ask God for guidance and wisdom in making this important decision, and for unity as a Church family regardless of the vote.
  2. Attend and vote. Please join the special congregational meeting on October 20 to learn more, ask questions, and to cast your vote.
  3. Stay involved.  More details will be offered in the coming weeks, but you’ll soon learn of a new capital campaign for Trinity to support many needs including hiring of an associate pastor, and if needed, to supplement funds for the Jefferson Elementary School purchase.

Questions & Answers

Updated: 10/14/2024 at 3:45pm

If we bid on Jefferson and our bid is accepted, what is the plan for the big move? Would that consist of volunteers or would staff members be in charge of the move?

Answer: We anticipate moving using staff, parents and church volunteers.  Scott Johnson would coordinate the move room by room.  The move of the kitchen equipment would be coordinated by the Trustees.

What is the current enrollment in Trinity School as of October 2024?

Answer: 154 students.

Walking through the building, I noticed a need for storage and new whiteboards in every classroom. Has that been considered in the budget?

Answer: The current white boards would be able to be moved to Jefferson. We have two outdoor buildings that can be used for storage.

Have you had an engineer inspect the facility to determine trouble areas?

Answer: The group that looked at this verified condition of the school through: an architect, HVAC professional, electrician, general contractor and a plumber. The HVAC system has been checked, and it is in good condition.

Who did the estimate & what is the amount that will have to be allocated to get the facility ready?

Answer: All financial matters will be discussed on Oct. 20

What upgrades & repairs will be needed in coming years & what is the estimated dollar amount?

Answer: We have an estimated renovation budget of things that are not NEEDED but WANTED. Some things are needed but it is a very small list. Those items are estimated costs.

Will we be upgrading the gym?

Answer: No immediate plans

What is the estimated amount of facility & grounds maintenance annually?

Answer: It is estimated to be about the same as our current school.

What is the estimated annual mortgage pmt & plan on paying it?

Answer: All financial matters will be discussed on Oct. 20

As far as chapel, have you given consideration to the fact that currently the children get into the church each Wed & not having that in the future will not be positive since it may be the only time some kids actually get into the church?

Answer: They are looking at how often and ways to have the children be able to attend chapel at Trinity Church. For example, they are looking at if the students get dropped off at Church.

Will we need a fence to have a secure playground?

Answer: That will be evaluated based on the need.

Has an environmental analysis been done on the grounds?

Answer: Merrill Area Public Schools has used this land for a school and they would have the same standards to follow.

If Jefferson is purchased what is the plan for the current school and if demolished what is the cost for that?

Answer: This will be up to the congregation and nothing has been evaluated.

What is the total cost of this proposal-purchase, prep of facility and whatever we do with the current school?

Answer: All financial matters will be discussed on Oct. 20.

Are there any funds already set aside, donations etc for this?

Answer: All financial matters will be discussed on Oct. 20

Have we looked at maybe taking the top portion of the current school and expanding off the bottom portion of the building so all of Trinity can be kept close?

Answer: Construction cost is approx. $400 per sq. foot and the addition is not structurally sound for a second floor.

What are the main reasons for this proposal?

Answer: This is an opportunity for improvement on Christian education, it is handicap accessible, more room, and has more outdoor space.

Could ramps be put in one side of the building instead of putting in an elevator?

Answer: You have to have 1 foot of rise for every 12 feet.

The answer to an earlier question stated the utility bills for the present school and the Jefferson School would be similar; however, given that the present school would still be used for some purposes, wouldn't Trinity now have a doubled utility bill?

Answer: Yes, for the first 6 months until the congregation decides what to do with the old school.

There currently is a shared dining/gym area at Jefferson, would it stay this way or is there a place to separate lunch/gym? We would be losing the separate areas if moved?

Answer: Scott Johnson has identified two areas where meals could be served. We could continue in the gym or move to one end of the commons area. Moving to a common area would require new flooring.

What is the plan for the Jefferson property to be best utilized for middle school aged children (grades 6-8) sporting events and where will the crowd be held for home and away teams?

Answer: For sporting events there will be seating around the outside of the floor. We could host events in the gymnasium, it would be multifunctional. There is also a common area in the middle of the building for smaller events.

How will this purchase affect tuition?

Answer: The purchase price does not directly affect tuition; tuition may increase with the largest impact being inflation.

Does the kitchen need an upgrade at Jefferson?

Answer: In the tentative renovation budget there will be money set aside to upgrade kitchen.

What are the major concerns with the condition of current school and what do those cost?

Answer: Major concerns with the current school are: Handicap accessibility, size of classrooms, enhanced safety and accessibilities, age of Building

What’s the plan to pay for this and all the upgrades?

Answer:  The financial decisions will be made at the October 20th meeting by the Congregation. Options will be provided.

Why can voting not be a closed ballot vote?

Answer: The voting will be by paper ballot

Will there still be a connection to the main church for the kids? Currently they go there for concert practices, events like grandparents day, chapel (I did see that there could be a chapel in the new building) VBS. Would these all require bussing?

Answer: Pastor G and Scott Johnson have made it a priority that the students would get to the church on a regular basis. The DCE would be able to be on premises for daily devotions and activities.

Has there been any outreach to the current school families to determine if they would enroll next year if the school moved to Jefferson?

Answer: The PTO and staff have been informed of the plans of moving to Jefferson.

Is this a deal breaker for any staff members?

Answer: No.

Has rubber roof contractor evaluated the years of life on the current roof?

Answer: The roof at Trinity and Jefferson have the same life span.

Rumor is that ’the HVAC system at Jefferson has major issues which MAPS is aware of. Has this been disclosed to Trinity and if so has an estimate been obtained on the cost to fix?

Answer: The group looking at this verified condition of the school through: an architect, HVAC professional, electrician, general contractor and a plumber. The HVAC system has been checked, and it is in good condition.

Have estimates been obtained for the various repairs/projects that need to be made with an order of importance

Answer: There is a renovation budget based on needs or requirements (such as the kitchen). It will be addressed at the October 20th meeting.

Has the idea of moving the portables to the church or current school location been explored.

Answer: There is no identified need for that currently.

Has the idea of having school drop off on Wednesdays be at the church been explored?

Answer: The possibility of having students dropped off on Wednesday’s has been discussed, it is a priority to get the students to the church and we will explore other ideas to make that happen. We have evaluated pricing from City of Merrill Go Round and Wendorf bussing.

Would additional staff need to be hired to maintain the building and grounds?

Answer: All job description changes need to be determined by Scott and Pastor G. The buildings are the same square footage with Jefferson being only one floor.

Who is on the committee for evaluating Jefferson School?

Answer: The committee is a combination of trustees, council members, Pastor G and Scott Johnson, whose role was to gather information only.

How many members typically attend a voters meeting? Has the church considered changing the bylaws so people could vote remotely?

A typical meeting is about 50-60 people, we encourage every member to attend to have their voice heard. At this time the bylaws do not allow remote voting.

What will be the cost to maintain the current school if the plan isn’t to take it down if we move to Jefferson?

The cost will be determined by how the current school will be utilized and that will be decided by the Congregation. We would need to heat the school (at a minimum) if it was empty. The current cost to heat Trinity School is approximately $5,000 (October – March.)

Has anyone had someone come in to say how much it would cost to maybe take the top part off the current school and build on to the main floor?

We have not looked into adding onto Trinity School. The cost to add on is approximately $400 per square foot, this would require us to bring entire school up to ADA compliance which means an elevator and required changes to bathrooms.

How are kids now going to get to the library on library days?

Scott Johnson has looked at cost for transportation to the library and other locations within Merrill.

Are we able to heat only part of the current building, for Sunday School or Youth Group, or do we need to maintain the whole building to use a few rooms?

The current Trinity school would need to be heated entirely.

What will it cost to take down the current Trinity school building?

We have not looked into demolition for Trinity school, a determination for use has not been decided by the Congregation.

Has there been any money left to the school that can be used towards this and if so how much?

All financial matters will be discussed at the October 20th Congregation Meeting.

Will the Learning Center be moved to the Jefferson property?

Answer: No, that was never in the plan.

If we keep our current school building, will we use it for Sunday School and
youth activities?

Answer: More planning discussion needs to occur, but a potential plan is to use the current school building for Sunday School, youth activities and any other activities that currently use the school building.

Will we possibly move the new Associate Pastor’s office the DCE’s office to the Jefferson property to establish a greater connection with our church?

Answer: That idea is seriously being considered.  But also the possibility of creating a “satellite” location for a Trinity worship service on Saturday nights.

What possible issues will we face at the Jefferson property relative to maintenance and especially the kitchen?

Answer: We have planned for renovation dollars to complete the kitchen. Mrs. Bahlow (our current school cook) will be an integral part of the team in laying out the Jefferson kitchen. The kitchen equipment from our current building will also need to be moved and set up in the Jefferson kitchen. 

Can our current Trinity school building be remodeled/repaired to better serve our students and families?

Answer: The biggest issue is the number of stairs which limits access by children with mobility issues.  An elevator alone would cost approximately $400,000.  Also, with an old building, there are certainly more potential structural issues that we will face.

How is the new location a benefit to us when we have such great visibility now?

Answer: The location of the Jefferson property is the middle of a growing area for Merrill, plus there is no elementary school in that part of Merrill, so outreach will be better.  The Jefferson building has no signage, so we will need to construct and install some major advertising and naming features to distinguish this as Trinity Merrill Lutheran School.

When would we possibly move to the Jefferson property?

Answer: If we secure the Jefferson property, we will use the Spring and Summer to get the building ready so that we can start the 2025-2026 school year at the new campus.

How are we going to pay for this?

Answer: That answer will be better defined at the October 20 Voter’s Meeting.  We have funds which could be used, but we are also planning a special capital stewardship campaign to cover a number of other important projects, and the additional funds needed for the Jefferson property purchase could easily be added to the campaign.

What about utility costs at the Jefferson property in comparison to costs at our current school building?

Answer: Estimates that we have made indicate the costs to be approximately the same.

Would weekly school chapel be held at the Jefferson property or at the current property?

Answer: There is a large common area in the Jefferson building which could easily become a sacred space for chapel.

How and when will be decision be made regarding the purchase of the Jefferson school property?

Answer: The decision will be made at the October 20 Voter’s Assembly meeting.

Are absentee votes allowed at Congregational Meetings?

Answer: Only members who are physically present may vote. According to our Constitution, Article Bylaw 2-Meetings, “the voting members present constitute a quorum.”
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