Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the difference between a building bond, what the district has been asking for, and an operating levy, which the district is asking for now?

    A bond request and an operating levy are both methods school districts can use to generate revenue and both require voter approval, but they serve different purposes. Put simply, levies are for learning and bonds are for building. Operating levies provide sustained funding for the district's day-to-day operational expenses, bridging the gap left by state and federal allocations. These expenses include salaries for teachers and support staff, classroom supplies, utilities, transportation costs and other operational expenses. 

    Annandale's operating levy is the lowest in the area and one of the lowest in the state. That means we don't have as much money as our neighboring districts to operate our schools. The School Board is seeking a voter-approved operating levy on the November 2024 ballot. 

    When and where do I vote?

    Please visit our Election Information Page for more information on polling locations and voter registration.

    Why is this issue on the ballot?

    Annandale Schools do not have the same level of funding as surrounding school districts. Our school district has worked hard to make investments in our schools that our staff, students and parents believe are important while keeping our school tax rate as steady as possible for property owners.  

    To ensure the quality education and well-rounded learning environment our students deserve, our district’s vision is to:  

    • -Continue our district’s successful investments in learning technology to promote the development of valuable digital and career-focused skills.  

    • -Strengthen funding for student learning to ensure programming remains strong and competitive.  

    • -Invest in the future of our students while keeping school taxes as stable as possible for property owners in the Annandale School District.

    Do other districts use voter-approved operating levies?

    Yes. Approximately 70% of school districts in Minnesota have voter-approved operating levies.

    How would this plan impact students?

    Increasing our operating levy by $750 per pupil would support classroom curriculum and materials, small class sizes, facility operations, salaries and other educational expenses that all contribute to a quality learning environment for our students. 

    Renewing the operating levy would ensure that Annandale students continue to have the technology and curricular resources they currently rely on for high-quality education and the development of career-focused skills.  

    I don’t have kids in school. Why should I care about this?

    Strong schools are essential to local communities, especially communities of our size. They equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed and can attract families, businesses and industries to stimulate economic growth. Our schools also serve as a hub for community education and events, with the goal of fostering a sense of belonging among residents in our district.

    Didn't we recently vote in a referendum?

    In August of 2023, Annandale School District voters did not pass a building bond referendum to address the school district’s facility needs. 

    An operating levy is different from a building bond. This $750/student funding would help our district support classroom curriculum and materials, small class sizes, facility operations, salaries and other educational expenses that cannot be covered with state funding alone. It would bring our district closer to the state average of $1,036/student for local funding and provide equitable support for learning relative to similarly sized districts in Minnesota.

    At Annandale Schools, we are committed to continually identifying opportunities to improve the education we provide while maintaining a steady school tax rate. The district and school board carefully manage district finances and make strategic decisions on managing district debt and voter-approved funding to keep our school tax rate as stable as possible for taxpayers.

    We know some local districts are at $0 for their approved levies. How do districts sustain being at $0 for their voter approved operating levy? 

    Districts that have no voter approved levy have to make drastic reductions/cuts. Typically, they are forced to cut staffing and programming for a few years until they reach a point where they can function with a lot less staff and a lot less programming. Some districts may receive financial support from a foundation or business to support a specific program of interest such as robotics and aviation. The district will still need to prioritize certain programs and make reductions to reduce their offerings.  

    What is the current operating levy?

    The current voter approved operating levy is $79/student. It generated approximately $179,000 for the district in the 23-24 school year.  Shown on the first graph here, titled, FY2015 Wright County Operating Levy Referendum Amount Per Student, Annandale has one of the lowest among the Wright County school districts.

    I own several acres of agricultural land in the Annandale School District. How will this operating levy affect my taxes? 

    Agricultural property will only pay taxes based only on the house, garage and one acre of land. You can find the tax calculator at this link. 

    I own seasonal property in the Annandale School District. How does this operating levy affect my taxes?

    Seasonal recreational residential property(i.e. cabins) will pay NO taxes for this operating levy.

    Since the referendum/bond didn’t pass last year, what are we doing to address our building needs for a new middle school?

    We know that the facility needs of our district are not going away, and the middle school continues to be a top priority. However, at this time we need to address the budget. Maintaining smaller class sizes and appropriate programming is very important for our students, staff and our families. We are only able to go to our voters for an operating levy in November of each year, which is why we are addressing this right now. We have not forgotten about our facility needs and are doing our best with what we have to provide our students with the best learning environment possible. We will be focusing on our facilities again in the near future and will be seeking community involvement. 

    How did the district get so far behind with their operating levy in comparison to other school districts?

    The last time the district went out for an operating levy was in November 2019. The $79 that was requested and approved was not an increase to what taxpayers were paying. At the time, we could have requested an increase, but knew in May 2020 they would be going to voters with a building bond which would be an increase to community members' taxes. At that time, all trends (inflation and enrollment) were projecting in a very positive direction. The district did not want to burden our taxpayers any more than was essential. The pandemic arrived in March 2020 and so the district waited on the building bond until we had a grasp on what was happening and how it would affect everyone in the country. 

    If the levy passes and class sizes decrease for all 3 schools where will the other classes move to because there are no open class rooms?

    The reductions that we had to make last year lead to larger class sizes than we normally have; mainly at the elementary and middle school. Because we had to reduce classroom teachers, there is space available for more classes. For example, we had to reduce a 5th grade section last year creating larger than desirable class sizes for 5th grade. This also created an open classroom because we had one less teacher at that grade level. 
    I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
     
    How many students are in the Annandale public school system? 
     
    We currently have 1,975 students enrolled in our district. This is slightly down from last year. The reason for this is that nationwide there has been a slight dip in birth rates. We do not expect this dip to last too long as trends are showing increases for the coming years. 
     
    What is the expected increase in enrollment over the next 10 years? 
     
    The most recent studies that we have done show every indication of increased enrollment in our future. Since the pandemic, it has been a little more difficult to predict the exact amount of increase as different educational trends have presented themselves; such as online education and homeschooling. When students choose these methods of education, the school district does not receive any funding for them.
     
    Annandale is a sought after community and school district. As you know, our location is desirable for many people as it has close proximity to some of the amenities larger towns offer, while still living a small town life. 
     
    Annandale is a growing area and the district works closely with the City of Annandale when it comes to growth opportunities. Especially in relation to residential building permits. We know there are new developments that are going up as well as apartment complexes. This will bring more students to our district. The more residents we have in the district the lower everyone's school taxes become as the tax base will grow. As the tax base grows, the more the taxes get spread out, therefore the less each household will have to pay.