Call it a perfect 4.0 for Inver Grove Heights and Burnsville-Eagan-Savage schools. Elsewhere, a more somber tone came with election results as levy efforts in Lakeville Area Schools and Farmington Area schools both failed to pass.

Inver Grove Heights: Voters give schools a funding lifeline

Before the election, Inver Grove Heights Schools Superintendent Dave Bernhardson said the reason for this year’s levy was simple: “Survival.” Inver Grove Heights public schools on Tuesday got a lifeline from taxpayers.

The operating levy was approved by about 54% of voters, who chose to increase the operating levy by $627 per student, tied to inflationary increases, for the next decade.

“I think it passed because the voters in our school district realize that our schools are based all about people,” said Bernhardson. “They recognize how important class size is, the relationships we have with our kids, and how important safety is to our community.”

This brings the district’s levy to $1,337. This increase will cost taxpayers about $13.75 per month on a $317,250 home, the average home value in the district.

Inver Grove Heights cut $1.8 million ahead of the 2024-25 school year, and if this levy failed, officials predicted another shortfall of $2 million.

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage: Voters boot up tech levy again

Voters in District 191 decided it wasn’t time to log off quite yet, as taxpayers approved a renewal of Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Public Schools’ technology levy.

The renewal was approved by 66% of voters.

The newly-renewed capital projects levy will provide nearly $4.7 million each year, for an approximate total of about $47 million over the life of the levy. There would be no immediate property tax change, since the levy is a renewal.

Previously, District 191 Superintendent Theresa Battle told the Pioneer Press the renewed funds will be used to implement cybersecurity measures to protect the district’s data, as online attacks against school districts have been more common in recent years. The levy will also help fund the district’s use of popular educational programming like Schoology, Seesaw and WeVideo, in addition to continuing the initiative to provide every student with a laptop.

Lakeville Area Schools: Levy fails by slim margin

Lakeville voters rejected a measure to lessen the load on the district’s middle school and high school counseling staff, as almost 53 percent of voters Tuesday denied Lakeville Area Schools’ operating levy measure.

Lakeville’s voters voted against a $300 per student increase to the district’s general operating levy, tied to inflationary increases, which district officials have said was needed in order to add more counseling staff related to an uptick in school enrollment.

Lakeville school officials were unavailable at press time, as results came in late Tuesday night.

With the new funding, Lakeville planned to add nine counselor/social worker positions across three middle schools, and also one more counselor to each high school. They also planned to add a full-time art and music teacher to each elementary school, among other items. For homeowners of a $465,000 house — the average home value in the district — the new levy would have been a tax increase of about $13 per month, according to district estimates.

Farmington: Second chance at levy fails

Maybe the third time will be the charm for Farmington Area Public Schools.

Voters in the Farmington Area Public School district again rejected a new levy measure, as 59% of voters denied the district’s operating levy. Last year, about 53% of voters rejected a similar operating levy question.

“We’re disappointed, but we knew it was a big ask from our community,” Farmington Area Schools Superintendent Jason Berg said. “We are in interesting times for people financially, where they have to make tough decisions.”

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Voters denied the new levy of $1,556.15 per student, which would have lasted 10 years, and was tied to inflationary increases, as well. The district’s current levy provides about $700 per student.

The new levy would have increased property taxes for Farmington schools residents about $35.50 per month or $425 a year, based on a home valued at $350,000, according to district estimates.

When the 2023 levy did not pass, the district chose to use $2.7 million of one-time funds to hold off any additional budget cuts. With this year’s effort also failing, the district has estimated needing to make reductions next year of about $4 million from the district’s $96 million budget. Before using those one-time funds last budget season, Farmington schools have made budget cuts in each of the previous three years.

Berg said district leaders will have to begin the research process again to discover the best way forward, in terms of what the district can potentially pass before the current levy expires.