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School levy faces rollback
Published 6:00am Saturday, July 5, 2008Schools across the state are scrambling to make ends meet, and some communities aren’t willing to make up for on-going budget cuts.
That’s the situation in the Frazee-Vergas community, where a group of community members are collecting signatures to challenge a $1 million dollar referendum passed last November.
Signatures are being collected for two petitions; one that calls for a complete overturn of the referendum, and one that calls for it to be reduced by half.
If the petition group is successful in collecting 15 percent of the registered voters’ signatures, which works out to be around 630 people, voters will have the opportunity to vote on the issue, once again, on November’s ballot.
The referendum passed in November with 61 percent — 1,604 votes — giving the go ahead for the levy which brings in about $1,000 per student.
It wasn’t the first time the community went to the polls to vote on an operating levy, but it was the first time enough supporters turned out to make it happen.
For the past four years, the school district has campaigned to make the referendum a reality, pointing out reoccurring budget cuts and the need for additional funds to provide quality education.
Since the referendum passed, the district has purchased new science curriculum, something superintendent Deron Stender said was desperately needed.
The previous science books were outdated and did not include recent science phenomenons such as El Niño, Stender said.
The school has been able to provide smaller class sizes, repair a failing boiler, restore programs and remodel the school’s heating and ventilation system.
The district has also been able to bring in some new technology. Previously, the district used hand-me-down computers from Detroit Lakes schools.
“What was outdated to them was new to us,” Stender said.
If the referendum is overturned, the district will have no choice but to cut back to where they were before, Stender said.
Although the referendum had enough support in November, the number of registered voters in this election year is set to increase, which means anything is possible, Stender said.
Property taxes are collected in May and October. No matter what happens on the ballots this November, the district will have collected one full year’s worth of funds.
Now the district that previously celebrated its victory in November is going on the defense.
“Typically, when you have a referendum pass, you don’t have to defend it,” Stender said.
But Stender doesn’t feel like he’s the only superintendent in Minnesota struggling with this issue.
“If I was a superintendent in another school district, I’d probably be a little nervous,” Stender said. “I’d be looking over my shoulder.”
He suspects that with the current state of the economy, this is an issue that could start popping up around the state.
