Commentary; Posted: 11/14/07
Levy results reveal tough economic times
By Don Heinzman
Voters renewed school referendum levies in the majority of districts, but many in the Twin Cities area were reluctant either to fund anything extra or to build new facilities.
Statewide, 62 of 99 districts passed all their questions, 32 failed and five had mixed results.
The message even where there were winners, is these are tough economic times and schools like most households will have to get along on basic aids.
Even in the Anoka-Hennepin school district, where a $42 million budget cut was averted with two successful referendums, voters by a slim margin rejected more funds to restore cuts, such as activity fees, and to spend more on technology.
Lakeville voters renewed a levy for $7.1 million and a new one of $4.6 million for 10 years but turned down $1 million a year for computers and buying software.
The Farmington district, where commercial and industrial comprises 4 percent of the property tax base, voters narrowly approved a new $3.1 million levy for 10 years but rejected two other levies.
In the Burnsville school district, which made it clear a school would be closed and class sizes increased if the levy failed, parents mobilized and the levy passed.
In St. Francis and Princeton, where the need to build new schools is evident, voters said no. Voters also said no in the Milaca school district to a new levy referendum proposal of $500 per pupil.
Elk River tried to renew and expand a levy and sought funds to build a new high school in Zimmerman, add an auditorium in Rogers High School and add more classrooms in Elk River, but voters said no to a five-year strategic plan.
Brooklyn Center voters opposed an extra tax levy for the fifth consecutive time.
The bottom line, however, in districts that lost levy elections, the vote was a protest against taxing more property for a school system that should be financed primarily by the state.
Legislators should take note that taxing property is regressive and the state has the responsibility to increase a broader based tax to fund education.
These were not the best of times to ask people to pay more property taxes, with a record number of mortgage foreclosures and an uncertain economy.
Where school officials convinced the public of the need, voters seemed to agree. Those school districts that argued for more money to reduce class size and keep programs going without being specific, failed to convince voters.
One ominous note came from the Robbinsdale school district where an outside consultant from Iowa was hired to oppose the levy. The consultant was successful in helping to defeat a levy referendum.
By overloading a school district with questions and no answers, a public on the fence will have reason to vote no.
Pressure will be exerted on the next legislative session to pass a supplemental levy for the 2008-09 school year, for which the Legislature provided a 1 percent increase in state aid.
This session, however, is part of an election year, so don’t look for any big increase in funding.
Overhauling the way schools are financed isn’t likely to happen next year in time for those districts who lost to avert serious budget cuts, and that’s too bad for thousands of Minnesota students.
Forest Lake Times
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