Home > Organizing > School Levies > 2007 School Levies > 2007 Levy Letters	Print View

Subject: Referendums

Gov. Pawlenty—When I was supt. at Elgin-Millville we had to pass three operating levies in order to keep the doors open.  I was there from 1997-2003.  That’s one for every two years of my tenure there.  I was retired from 2003-2006.  I am now part-time at Truman, MN.  I inherited a SOD problem of over $500,000.  Once again, I’m out begging the public to support their schools.  In the eight years I have been a supt., I have been involved in four operating levies.  In order to pass these, a supt. has to put in hours of time that should be spent on something important.

When I returned to public education, I was appalled at the amount of revenue that, once state aid, had been shifted to the local taxpayer.  Health and safety was once 75% aid and 25% levy.  Now all health and safety is local levy.  However, we still must get MDE approval in order to spend this local levy money.  This is approximately a $100,000 added tax burden. 

Operating capital was all aid.  Now, for this district, $64,800 is levy.  Those two budget items alone are a $164,000 shift to the local taxpayer.  The sad part is, due to lack of OPEN communication at the state level, I’m one of the only ones in town that understands the shift.  That’s because it is directly related my job. 

Since 2003, this district has reduced its expenditures by $668,318.  For the 2008-09 school year, we are planning another $125,000 in budget cuts.  That’s almost $800,000 in five years.  Our total operating budget is less that $4,000,000.  This district has gone to the “cap” in referendum funding of $1,426 per pupil.  We have no blood left.  Unless some realism takes place at the state level, it won’t be enough and a good rural school will have to close. 

At one time, we in Minnesota had pride in what we do.  What happened?  According to MSBA, since 1995, we have gone from tenth to 27th in the nation in per pupil funding.  One hundred schools are opting to go to the taxpayers this year to increase their revenue due to the state neglecting their duty.  That’s embarrassing. 

Operating levies are a poor way to fund education.  Students suffer in districts that don’t pass them. 

Leave a legacy, Governor. Fund education adequately, as the State Constitution dictates, and restore some pride in what was at one time one of the best educational systems in the nation.

O. John Larson, Supt.
Truman, MN