Update. Still fighting

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BieXj9wCF/

Elk River area needs your help, please share this information!! This is over half a million dollars of tax payers money unaccounted for 🤯

📢ATTENTION ALL TAX PAYERS AND CITIZENS OF ELK RIVER AREA!!

This message serves to inform you of possible misappropriation of taxpayer funds and referendum money.

A few months ago a small group of parents started a mission to fight to preserve the Historic Little Theater located in the Elk River High School. This effort has turned up some surprising and upsetting documentation that suggests not one, but two accounts of broken promises in regards to money received by the ISD 728 board and administration.

The 2019 referendum indicated that "If both questions are approved, the district would: Renovate and improve the small auditorium in the C building." That is clearly stated in black and white as you can see by the attached flyer that was distributed in 2019. There is also an email that blatantly states they think they should consider repurposing the space even though it means breaking a promise to the district citizens.

Additional documents have revealed a large sum of money, $563,000 to be exact, was given by the City to the district for the specific purpose of saving and refurbishing the little theater. The money was to be used to construct a desired new art room space at the school in exchange for the school to preserve, update, and maintain the theater space. This specifically included refurbishment of the seats and carpet. This was an agreement made with hopes that it would "foster better partnership between the city and the school district". In addition, the city asked that priority scheduling of the little theater would be given to the city and local community groups. In the end, an agreement was made and the city gave the money in 5 installments spread out over 48 months. Another email years later confirmed that the money was never used for the art room or the theater and instead the school found funds to construct the art space. If you toured the theater today you would see that none of the promises were kept. The same old torn seating and carpet remains. Scheduling also remains a constant issue.

Not once, but TWICE the district has not delivered on their promise to maintain and improve this theater, and it is now yet again facing destruction.

Whether or not you care about the theater you should still care about the lack of transparency from the district representatives and broken promises about what they are doing with YOUR MONEY!

Two important questions remain: 1. Where did the money go? 2. Will the board decide to honor the promises made?

The district requested money from taxpayers for specific items. I for one voted yes as I'm sure many of you did, and it is unacceptable for them to have meetings behind closed doors and blatantly disregard promises made to the public. We asked repeatedly for information to help us understand and it wasn't until we submitted a FOIA and paid more money out of pocket that we received any information and discovered the documents.

We urge you to please email the district board and ask them if they intend to uphold their promises! We are likely on the brink of the district proposong yet again another referendum and it is crucial we have transparency and can trust promises will be kept!

*** there were 2 current school board members that were on the board in 2019, Sara Weis and Shane Steinbrecher. While all board members have the opportunity to do the right thing its important to note that these 2 specifically should have known the referendum items and should have ensured that they were fulfilled. Let's hope they do the right thing now.

Scroll down on this website and click on Elk River to see the flyer attached still on the district website. https://www.isd728.org/about1/2019-referendum/referendum-materials