Sartell-St. Stephen school district’s voters will get a second chance on Nov. 5 to approve an operating levy that would raise $1.7 million a year for 10 years.
A year ago, voters defeated a similar measure, forcing school leaders to cut $1.3 million from this year’s school budget.
District voters should approve the levy this year.
The money is needed to keep class sizes low, continue classroom programs and maintain the district’s buildings.
Last year’s defeated levy prompted the school board to conduct a series of meetings to learn why voters turned it down. Then board members faced making unpopular cuts to balance the budget.
Comments at the listening sessions revealed voters may not have understood the reason for the levy coming after they approved bonding in 2016 for the new high school. Others were skeptical the district was not only asking for money to operate the district’s buildings but was trying to pile on funding for additional programs. Farm owners did not understand an operating levy only taxed the homestead property, not the total value of the farmer’s land.
This time around the district has presented clearer and more focused information.
As the board confronted budget cuts last spring, they found no easy answers. When they proposed eliminating a popular program, Academic Extensions, parents pushed back and that idea was abandoned. The board cut one fourth-grade section and one first-grade section, resulting in larger classes. That wasn’t popular either. High school activity fees doubled.
Parents, teachers and board members were not happy about any of the cuts, but the budget balanced with the cuts and by dipping into the district’s fund balance for $400,000.
If this year’s vote goes down, the board will need to cut $1.3 million again and probably tap the fund balance again.
School leaders point out there are two ways to balance the budget: increase revenue or cut expenses.
Options for more revenue include passing the levy or changing the district’s open enrollment policy to bring in more students and the money that comes with them. Increasing the amount of major commercial or industrial property would boost tax revenue, but that’s a long-term solution. In the meantime, homeowners carry the burden.
Options for cutting expenses include increasing class sizes, raising fees and instead of offering busing to all students, limiting it to students who live more than 2 miles from school as required by the state.
After last year’s levy failed, the school board ordered a number of cuts that saved smaller amounts of money. Staff positions were left open and the board did not fund programs planned for the new high school. Playground supervisors were cut and that duty shifted to teachers.
If voters turn down the levy again, the school board will need to eliminate or reduce programs and services that are popular with parents. When thinking about how to vote next month, residents should also think about what other revenue options they prefer or where to cut $1.7 million.
Vote Yes on Nov. 5.
