Dakota County residents filled board seats and approved education funds at the polls Tuesday.
Here’s a look at what voters were asked, what passed and how homeowners will be impacted.
Farmington
Voters in Farmington approved an operating levy that will provide approximately $1,236.60 per student annually, generating about $8 million per year for 10 years. The levy, which passed with more than 57% of the vote, will be used to sustain current class sizes, maintain literacy and math instruction, strengthen elementary enrichment opportunities and expand middle and high school career pathway options, according to the district.
Owners of a median-value $350,000 home in the area can expect to see their property taxes increase about $534 annually, or $45 per month, due to the passing referendum. The district notes that previously approved levies will expire in 2027 and 2031, reducing overall property taxes at those times.
Hastings
School board: Voters in the Hastings school district, ISD 200, elected Elaine K. Mikel-Mulder in a special election to fill a vacant school board seat. Mikel-Mulder handily won with more than 60% of the vote.
The seat was formerly held by Jenny Wiederholt-Pine, who died in February. Wiederholt-Pine, of Miesville, was a district soccer coach, restaurant co-owner, avid equestrian, wife and mother.
Elaine Mikel-Mulder (Courtesy of the candidate)
Mikel-Mulder, a mother, attorney and an alumni of Hastings, was elected this spring to fill the remainder of Weiderholt-Pine’s term.
“My friend and a woman who many in this community would consider an absolute giant and legend, Jenny Wiederholt, was one of the initial people who nudged me towards running for this position,” Mikel-Mulder said on her webpage. “Although my commitment to joining to the board is rooted in my personal passion for education, I really would like to do what I can to honor Jenny’s legacy in this community.”
Mikel-Mulder’s term will run from Jan. 5, 2026 until Jan. 1, 2029.
Lakeville
Lakeville voters overwhelmingly approved a request to renew an expiring capital projects levy that was first passed in 2015.
The levy, which passed with nearly 70% of the vote, will continue to generate roughly $4 million annually for 10 years for education technology like projectors and TVs, cybersecurity systems and equipment and software for K-12 STEM education and career-focused courses for high school students, according to the district.
A renewal is a request to maintain taxes at the current level and as a result there will be no new tax increase, per the district.
School board: Voters in the district, ISD 194, also elected Tony Reichenberger to the school board, unseating incumbent Brett Nicholson.
Reichenberger, a father and former attorney who currently works for an AI company, tallied 51% of the vote compared to Nicholson’s 48%. Reichenberger is committed to investing in teachers, collaborating with the community and improving the reputation of the district’s school board, according to his candidate webpage.
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan
Nearly 68% of voters in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district voted to renew and increase an expiring technology capital projects levy.
First approved in 2015 for 3.015%, voters approved a request to renew and increase the levy to 5.015%, which will generate an additional $6.4 million annually, resulting in about $15.5 million annually in technology funding for the next 10 years. The technology levy directly supports classroom instruction by funding student learning devices, digital tools, cybersecurity, communications systems, computer science education and career and technical education, according to the district.
Homeowners in the area with an estimated market-value home of $400,000 can expect to see their annual property taxes increase by about $85, or $7 per month, due to the passing referendum.
School board: Voters in the district, ISD 196, also elected Leah Gardner, Robin Cerio and Sakawdin Mohamed in the general school board election.
Each of the newly elected members are Eagan residents and currently on the school board with terms expiring Jan. 5. Their new terms will run from January 2026 to January 2030.
Catherine Diamond, a mother of three with a doctorate in public health, won ISD 196’s special election and will serve the remaining two years of former board member Sachin Isaac’s term. Diamond, who ran unopposed, was appointed to fill Isaac’s vacancy until an election could be held after his resignation in October 2024.
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