Superintendent's Report

Technology levy vote Nov. 2

The school district is asking the taxpayers to approve a $500,000 per year technology levy (question 1 on the ballot) to be voted on Nov. 2, 2021. Last week I outlined the technology initiatives the school district has implemented since 2013.
The following is a list of additional factors that are making it difficult to have a balanced budget:
(a) PSEO: Legislative action allows high school students to take courses for college credit. This is a great program for students and families, as the credits are free of charge. However, school districts are required to pay for the costs of the credits and textbooks. When I arrived in 2008, PSEO costs were $7,500.00 a year. In 2021, PSEO costs have swelled to $165,000.00 per year; these expenses come straight out of the school district’s operating budget.
(b) Competitive Wages: School districts must stay competitive with their wages to attract and retain the best staff. Since March 2020, starting wages have steadily increased in and around Minneota. It is not uncommon to see signs boasting starting wages of $16.00 or more per hour, including signing bonuses. The Minneota School Board has worked hard to increase wages, but there isn’t enough new revenue to stay competitive.
(c) Inflation: The school district typically receives a 2% increase from the State of Minnesota each year. Unfortunately, inflation is currently around 5%, causing the budget to go backward. Deficit spending has begun, and without an approved technology levy, the district will be forced to make painful reductions to its programs.
(d) Declining Enrollment: The majority of funding is based on student enrollment, and over the past few years, Minneota has seen some decline. Since the district receives approximately $11,500.00 per student, this loss doesn't take long to add up. The district made $50,000.00 in reductions for 2020-2021 and another $100,000.00 for 2021-2022. However, any further reductions will severely hurt programming for the students.
Minneota Public Schools consistently ranks in the top 5 percent of area districts in MCA reading, math and science. Recently, the district learned that it is ranked 15th best of out of 430 Minnesota school districts, according to School Digger. Having a high-quality staff, implementing technology initiatives, and providing excellent resources allows our students to excel. The passage of question 1 will ensure we will be able to continue to offer our students the best education possible.
Almost every school district in our region has an operating referendum or levy passed (Minneota, Marshall, RTR, and Lakeview are the only districts that do not). Since inflation is higher than the revenue received from the state, these additional funds are needed to help stabilize the budget.

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The Minneota Mascot
Address: 201 N. Jefferson
Minneota, MN 56264

Phone:(507) 872-6492