Posted: 10/15/03

4-week school levy blitz begins

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A four-week blitz to energize and garner support for two excess levy requests in ISD 831 has commenced.

Backers of the school districtís two requests for funding went public Thursday, Oct. 9 with a rally at American Legion Post 225. A crowd of about 100 citizens of the district turned out.

Linda Kinkel, chair of the Yes for Schools levy committee, said the blitz will focus on three key areas. The blitz, she said, will work to energize, organize and inform the community as election day draws near.

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, district voters will decide two excess levy questions.

One seeks $2 million a year in excess operating funding for each of five years to support the general fund. Without passage of the levy, the district will proceed with a plan to trim $2 million in expenses from the general fund budget in the 2004-2005 school year.

The school board on Oct. 6 adopted an administrative recommendation for just such a plan. If the levy vote fails, the district will cut 25 teaching positions and resume an all-day, alternative day kindergarten program to save salary and transportation costs, respectively.

The district on Nov. 4 will also seek technology funding under a capital projects levy OKíd by the State Department of Education. It seeks an additional $2 million a year over five years to upgrade and improve technology for the district.

Kinkel said last week passage of the two levies is essential to protect class size and avoid decreased student opportunities.

ìThatís a bad outcome for many of us,î she said.

Kinkel said the blitz will be augmented by informational brochures scheduled for mailing in October, public meetings, door-knocking, one-on-one meetings and a get-out-the-vote telephone effort the night before the election.

Last weekís meeting was also used as a distribution night for lawn signs supporting the levies and stickers that urge support. ìWear them to the grocery store. Wear them to church,î Kinkel urged.

Kinkel said the public information campaign will stress that the district has cut all that it can cut without hitting staff. For the current year budget, the school board trimmed $800,000 from the budget by not buying school buses nor completing a number of maintenance projects, she said.

On the technology topic, Kinkel said it was important for the public to know where the dollars would go and they would not be providing laptop computers for every student. The technology area would bolster systems now in place and add new technology pieces high in demand today.

On a cost basis, Kinkel said a home with $300,000 market value would end up with about $20 a month in additional property taxes if the two levies pass.

Organization

For its organization details, Yes for Schools hopes to reach 9000 district residents who would support the ballot box questions.

In realistic terms based on the short time to make such contacts, committee members hope to reach 60-70 percent of the 9000 total.

Funding goals have been set at $40,000, the same amount raised in 2001 to run a successful levy campaign.

Forest Lake Education Association, the teachersí union, has contributed $5000 to the fund and will add another $3000, said FLEA President Terry DuRei last week.

Parent-teacher organizations at Columbus, Linwood, Forest Lake, Wyoming and Lino Lakes elementary schools have pledged or contributed $2000 each to the Yes for Schools drive.

A plea for public contributions to assist the campaign also went out last week.

Good news

Two points of good news have also been received by Yes for Schools and the district.

Kinkel announced on Oct. 9 that the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce had voted earlier in the day to endorse both school district ballot questions.

ìThis is great news for all of us,î Kinkel said of the endorsement.

The school district last week also received communication from Rep. Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon and Speaker of the House, explaining important points of the 2003 education bill.

Sviggum said the bill pumps an additional $38 million for levy referendum equalization. ìThis equalization will provide for equal opportunities statewide and provides that the state of Minnesota will pay part of the referendum raised and supported locally,î he wrote in a letter to Lynn Steenblock, superintendent.

In Forest Lake, Sviggum said the levy referendum equalization will provide said aid for about 18 percent of the total revenue raised by referendum if voters approve on Nov. 4.

ìEqualization is an important effort for greater Minnesota children, parents and taxpayers,î Sviggum wrote.

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