Many Dakota County voters will be asked on Nov. 7 to consider giving more money to public schools.
The Farmington, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville and West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan school districts are asking for additional funding.
Here’s a rundown of what will be on the ballot next month, why the funds are needed and, if passed, how the levy referendums could impact homeowners.
Farmington
Farmington Area Public Schools is proposing to revoke the district’s existing operating levy and replace it with a new one following a budget reduction for the 2023-24 school year and a projected deficit of $3.5 million for the 2024-25 school year.
The district will ask voters to consider replacing the current operating levy of $677 per student to $1,239.92 per student for taxes payable in 2024, which will provide $9 million annually for the first three years, with $5 million coming from the current levy and $4 million from the new levy. The question then asks voters to approve an additional $562.95 per student for taxes payable in 2027, which will provide an additional $4 million annually for the remaining seven years of the new levy, according to the district.
The funds from the new levy would help the district to maintain its programs and services, offset the costs of new literacy and learner support initiatives required by the state and stabilize funding.
If approved, property taxes for district residents with an average-priced home of $350,000 will increase by about $13.25 a month for the first three years, according to the district, and then be reduced by about $14.83 per month for the remaining seven years of the new levy because of previous building bonds that will be paid off in 2024-25 and 2027-28.
For more information, go to https://www.farmington.k12.mn.us/referendum.
Hastings
Hastings Public Schools is asking voters to consider a 10-year capital project levy, also known as the technology levy.
The technology levy would raise $2 million annually for student and staff devices, reliable internet access, technology infrastructure, software and licenses, building and grounds security and cybersecurity.
If approved, the levy will cost homeowners with an average-priced home of $275,000 about $100 annually, or $8 a month, according to the district.
For more information, voters can attend an informational session at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at Hastings Middle School or visit http://pipr.es/ZGijpvD.
Inver Grove Heights
Voters in the Inver Grove Heights Schools district will be asked two questions on the ballot next month.
Question 1 asks voters to consider an operating levy that would provide an increase of $410 per student to maintain class sizes, offer K-8 world language and add courses that would allow students to explore career opportunities.
Question 2, which is contingent on the passage of Question 1, asks voters to consider providing an additional $110 per student for safety and mental health support including training for teachers.
If both operating levies are passed, property taxes will increase by about $11.67 per month based on the area’s average home price of $313,000, according to the district.
For more information, go to http://pipr.es/Pww1gQt.
Lakeville
Voters in the Lakeville Area Schools district will be asked about two operating levies on this year’s ballot.
Question 1 asks voters to increase the general education revenue by $100 per student in order to staff and operate the district’s new elementary school, Highview Elementary, which is projected to open next fall at 18601 Highview Ave.
According to the district, K-12 enrollment is projected to grow more than 30 percent in the next decade with elementary enrollment projected to grow more than 17 percent, around 900 students, over the next five years.
If approved, the levy posed in Question 1 would add roughly $50 annually in property taxes based on an average home value of $465,000 for the area.
Question 2, which is contingent on the passage of Question 1, asks voters to approve a general education increase of $250 per student to expand K-12 mental health, behavioral and academic support and attract and retain highly qualified staff.
If both questions are approved, voters can expect a property tax increase of about $174 annually, or around $15 a month, for the average home value of $465,000, according to the district.
For more information, voters can attend a Referendum Community Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Lakeville Area Schools District Office or go to https://www.isd194.org/Page/3986.
West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan
Voters in the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area school district will be asked two questions on the November ballot.
Question 1 asks voters to approve an operating levy increase of $731 per student to maintain class sizes and avoid budget cuts to programming and staff.
For elementary school, class sizes currently are about 23.5 students on average per classroom. For middle school, they are 28 on average per classroom and for high school, they are 34.5 on average per classroom, the Pioneer Press elections team reported.
If approved, the additional levy would increase annual property taxes by $153, or $12.75 a month, for the average-priced house of $350,000 in the district, according to district officials.
Question 2 asks voters to renew the school district’s existing capital levy, which is set to expire in 2025. The levy is used to fund student and staff devices, internet access and fiber connectivity, telecommunications, technology infrastructure, software licenses, training and the salaries of technology staff.
The current capital project levy, which was approved in 2014, raises some $2.3 million a year for the district’s technology needs and adds $75 in taxes to an average-priced house of $350,000 in the district. If Question 2 is approved, it would not increase taxes, according to the district.
For more information about the ballot questions, voters can attend a community information meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Two Rivers High School or go to https://www.isd197.org/vote2023.
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