On July 22, the Annandale School Board voted to hold an election for an operating referendum levy funding request on Election Day, November 5, 2024. The proposal on the ballot will ask voters to increase our district’s general education revenue by $750 per pupil for a 10-year term with an inflationary factor. Based on enrollment projections, the new levy will provide approximately $1.6 million additional dollars for the first year with an inflation factor included for years 2-10. 

Annandale voters have long supported our students with an operating referendum. The operating referendum was last approved in 2019. However, it generates considerably less per student than most districts receive. We are asking voters for an increase.  

If the operating levy is approved, the additional levy dollars will bolster the district’s financial stability, maintain what we have and allow us to invest in academics and programming, including: 

• Reduction in class sizes

• Increase intervention programming

• Enhancing academic performance and outcomes

• Increasing staffing for behavior intervention and student mental health support

If the operating levy is not approved, the district will need to make significant budget reductions, which are likely to include (but not limited to) the following:

• Staffing reductions

• Increase in class sizes

• Reduce programs for students including:

  • Reduce secondary electives

  • Reduce intervention programs

• Reduce student access to educational technology

• Increase in fees for facility use by community

• Increase in student activity fees

In proposing the new levy, the board carefully considered both the needs of the district and the tax implications for district residents. The proposed levy will increase school property taxes by about $21 per month on a home valued at $300,000, plus an inflationary index throughout the duration of the levy.  

Challenges

Like many other school districts in Minnesota and across the country, Annandale Public School is facing serious budget challenges. Our costs are increasing faster than our revenue is growing. This is mainly because prices are going up (inflation) and student enrollment (revenue) has slowed, mostly due to low birth rates. In addition, Annandale’s current operating levy is one of the lowest in the area and the entire state, which means our district has less money than neighboring districts to operate our schools and provide programming for students.

Faced with these costs and the gap in state funding, school districts have two choices to balance budgets: Cut spending, or supplement school budgets with locally-approved funding. In Minnesota, over 70% of school districts receive additional financial support from locally-approved operating levies, which support classroom curriculum and materials, staff salaries, extracurricular activities, facilities management and other general operations.