Eastern Carver County School Board Approves November Referendum
At their Monday, June 28 meeting, the Eastern Carver County School Board unanimously approved putting an operating referendum in front of voters in the November 2, 2021 election. The operating levy is a strategic investment in sustaining and building the district’s high quality educational and programming activities into the future.
Question: The board of Independent School District No. 112 (Eastern Carver County), Minnesota has proposed to increase the School District’s general education revenue by $550 per pupil, subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation. The proposed new referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2021 for taxes payable in 2022 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.
If passed, funding received from the 2021 referendum will allow the district to continue the strong academic preparation of our students, lower class sizes at the elementary level, and grow our fund balance to protect programs and services from enrollment shifts, financial fluctuations, or other unforeseen circumstances.
“The decision to move forward with a referendum isn’t one we made lightly,” Board Chair Dr. Jeff Ross said. “We are grateful for the anticipated increase in education funding from the legislature, but that’s only for the next two years. We just don’t know what state support will look like moving forward, and that inconsistency has been an ongoing challenge for school districts. This operating levy would provide resources our district needs to continue to deliver the excellent educational experience our community both deserves and expects while continuing to be fiscally prudent.”
The board spent months reviewing information, analyzing data, and discussing district and building-level needs to arrive at this decision. While district administration initially recommended a $650 per pupil operating levy at the June 14 work session, the anticipated increase in state education funds shifted the recommendation to a more conservative $550 per pupil, which the board ultimately approved. If the referendum is approved, the average homeowner ($375,000 home) would see a tax impact of $20 per month, for a total of $240 per year.
There will be one question on the Referendum ballot on November 2. To learn more information about the planning that led to the referendum request, visit ECCSVote.org.
