Cliff Buchan
News EditorAfter deciding to sit out a go at voter approval for excess levy authority this fall, the president of Forest Lakeís school board is glad the district did just that.
A look at election results from school levy and building bond questions on Nov. 2 easily explain Bill Bresinís thinking.
With the exception of Cambridge-Isanti, ballot questions in the Centennial, Elk River, North Branch and Princeton school districts were all defeated by voters.
ìIt just shows we made the right decision to wait,î Bresin said this week looking back at the Nov. 2 election.
For most of the spring and summer officials in ISD 831 toyed with the idea of going out for an excess operating levy request again this fall. A levy attempt was soundly defeated by voters in the Forest Lake district a year ago setting off yet another round of budget cuts that will reach $2 million this winter.
With vocal support for the levy attempt this fall muted, the board backed off from any vote this fall and is now planning to go to the public for local funding in November of 2005. Preliminary details point to the district seeking the maximum levy of $910 per pupil unit to generate some $2.3 million in needed revenues.
With state basic funding frozen, school officials say the local tax levy is needed to avoid more general fund budget cuts. The district has not been able to keep with inflationary cost factors, Bresin said.
ìThatís the hardest part,î Bresin said of the budget cuts. Passing a levy this fall would have avoided that, but the board president said the damage from another defeat at the ballot box might be more harmful than waiting a year and making sure the public will support the request.
ìIt was a tough call but I didnít see the support,î Bresin said. ìI didnít want to go out just to say we went out.î
With the board now in process of plotting its levy plan for 2005, the board president is confident the district will be able to get its message out. In a presidential year, Bresin said it would have been difficult to convince a majority of voters of the districtís needs.
ìA lot of people vote for whatever reason and only something like 30 percent have kids in school,î he said.
With House of Representatives Republicans losing 13 seats on Nov. 2, Bresin said there may be renewed hope for more legislative support for public education. But that wonít be until the session ends next spring.
Faced by a crucial decision a year from now, Bresin said it was the districtís job to begin getting its message out.
ìWe just have to keep at it,î he said. ìWe want to get people excited. Weíll make it happen.î
Area results
Hereís a recap of what happened in area school elections on Nov. 2.
ïCambridge-Isanti
Voters approved a $600,000 operating levy for five years and a $47.7 million bond referendum to build an elementary school and a middle school, and renovate other facilities.
The latter questions was contingent on the operating levy questions passing.
The levy question passed with 55 percent of the vote, 7360 to 5987.
Other districts were not so fortunate.
ïNorth Branch
Voters in North Branch again rejected an excess operating levy referendum to raise $2.5 million for five years. The vote was 6483 to 3456 to defeat the question with 65 percent of the district voters against.
ïCentennial
Voters in Centennial also defeated an excess operating levy once again, a move that will trigger major budget cuts for Forest Lakeís neighbor to the south.
Officials in Centennial sought $3.9 million per year for up to five years to restore teaching positions and avoid budget cuts. But by a tight margin of 8226 to 8055, the request was defeated. The margin of defeat was 51 percent to 49 percent.
ï Elk River
School officials in Elk River district saw two ballot questions defeated.
A $2.3 million levy referendum to raise $2.3 million a year to hire staff, open new schools, maintain class size and minimize budget cuts was defeated by 56 percent to 44 percent, 16,364 votes to 12,604.
A bond referendum seeking $87 million to build a new school, construct additions to existing schools, buy land and do renovations lost by an even larger margin. The bond question lost by a 62 percent to 38 percent margin with 17,565 voters opposed and 10,991 voters in favor.
ïPrinceton
In Princeton, where the public schools have never had an excess operating levy, school officials tried unsuccessfully for new funding and voter authority to build new facilities.
A request for $2.17 million a year for up to 10 years for operating funds lost 57 percent to 43 percent with 5629 voters opposed and 4321 voters in favor.
A second ballot question to raise $1.1 million a year for up to 10 years for operating dollars for a new school and additional facilities lost 66-44 percent with 6505 voters opposed and 3380 voters in support.
A building bond referendum calling for $89.8 million to construct a new elementary school, remodel an existing elementary and upgrade other facilities lost 67-33 percent. A total of 6443 district voters opposed the levy while 3200 were in favor.
The second Princeton ballot question was contingent on voters approved the $89.8 million building bond.
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