Thank you for your support!

A heartfelt thank you to the School District 197 community for supporting increased local funding for our students, staff, and schools. Both levy questions passed.

Question 1 Operating Levy Increase: 60% YES
Question 2 Technology Levy Renewal: 67% YES

We are honored by the trust our community has continually shown in the District. We will continue to be good stewards of our community’s tax dollars to support students and staff through excellent programs, services, and opportunities.

School District 197 sought voter approval for two levies this fall.

One levy would renew an existing technology levy set to expire, and the other would invest in a new operating levy.

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What's on the Ballot?

Question 1

Approve a $731 per-student operating levy increase. The additional funds will enable the district to maintain class sizes and avoid budget cuts to programs and staff.

If question #1 were approved, property taxes would increase $153 per year for the average-priced $350,000 home in our area (around $12.75 per month).

LEARN MORE About the Operating Levy

Question 2

Renew the previously approved capital project levy (also called the technology levy), which provides district-wide technology infrastructure and network improvements, the purchase of student and staff devices, updates to classroom technologies, and more.

Approval of the capital project levy would not result in an increase in property taxes.

LEARN MORE About the Technology Levy

Why Now?

School District 197 is projecting a $2.1 million budget shortfall over three years due to a lack of funding for general and special education, decreased spending power due to inflation, and increased needs from students across all of our schools.

The Ongoing Funding Gap

For decades, state education funding has not kept pace with inflation and the cost of educating our students. If education funding had kept pace with inflation, our schools would have $6.9 million more in buying power every year—the equivalent of up to 80 more teachers in our classrooms today.

Levies Fill Funding Gaps

When school districts face a budget shortfall, the options are to make budget cuts and/or ask voters to increase local revenues through a levy referendum election. More than 90% of Minnesota school districts—including School District 197—rely on a local operating levy to help fund basic costs, teacher salaries and benefits, and avoid budget cuts.

If voters approve the levy referendum requests, it would stabilize the District’s funding so that the earliest the school board plans to return to the voters with another levy request would be 15 to 20 years from now.

Funds will be used to:

Maintain class sizes and instructional support.
Provide financial stability to continue our excellent academic programs and services for students.
Retain and attract the best teachers and staff.
Provide district-wide technology infrastructure and network improvements.
Purchase and maintain technology devices for students and staff.
Pay the salaries of technology staff and the cost of training.

Tax Impact: Lower Than Almost All Metro Districts

For a home value of $350,000 (the average home value in our school district), School District 197 has lower total school property taxes than almost all districts in the Twin Cities. Of the 47 school districts in the metro area, School District 197 ranks #45 in total school property taxes—the third lowest tax rate. See the tax rate comparison of all 47 AMSD (Association of Metro School District) here.

When you look closer to home, we have the lowest tax rate of all of our neighboring districts.

If both levies are approved, our school district taxes will still be at or near the lowest in our neighborhood and the metro area.

Strong Community Support

Our community recognizes the value our schools and staff bring to our community. In a June 2023 survey for School District 197 families...

Financial Accountability

Up to now, we’ve kept budget cuts away from our classrooms by creatively making budget adjustments and saving in other areas. We've stood firm in maintaining optimal class sizes while neighboring districts have seen expansions. Here are ways we have upheld our commitment to financial stewardship:

We spend one-third less than the metro average on all forms of administration costs.
We create opportunities for students by partnering with neighboring school districts, like TriDistrict CAPS (Centers for Advanced Professional Studies), a college and career-readiness program offered in partnership with the school districts of South St. Paul and Inver Grove Heights.
We save more than $1 million each year in our energy efficiency practices and solar power offsets.
We made administrative cuts around 2013. Those positions have not come back even with enrollment increasing during most of this time.
Our team spends a significant amount of time writing grants to provide expanded services without extra funds. A few examples of grants that we have received recently are Minnesota Department of Education’s Grow Your Own Program Grant and the Expansion of Rigorous Course Opportunities and Support Grant.
We work with the ISD197 Educational Foundation to support teachers with classroom materials and instructional support.

For the last 5+ years, School District 197 has been awarded the Minnesota Department of Education School Finance Award Recipient for our financial reporting and accountability.

FAQs

Why is the district going out for a referendum?

What is the tax impact?

Approval of the technology levy would not result in an increase in property taxes.

Approval of the new operating levy is estimated to increase property taxes by $153 per year for the average home in our area (around $12.75 per month). See the table below for the estimated tax impact for residential homes. Click here to calculate your tax impact.

Calculate Your Tax Impact Here

What will happen if voters do not approve either levy?

If the operating levy does not pass, we would first reach out to the community for input on the specific adjustments, but it would likely result in increased class sizes and cuts to programs and services.

If the technology levy does not pass, we will stop replacing old devices. They wouldn't go away immediately but would become increasingly less usable. At that time, we would no longer be able to provide a learning device for each student. Then we would likely adjust the tech staff—our team who supports our teachers and buildings with all of their technology needs. We could cover the remaining technology costs in the general budget, but that would require cutting something from there.

Did School District 197 receive one-time federal Covid funds?

Yes, all school districts across the country received federal one-time funds restricted to specific uses to help with the COVID pandemic crisis.

With COVID funding, School District 197 funded 2.5 additional counselors, 12 additional teachers, 360 Community Workers, Cultural Liaisons, and more. You can click here to view our Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding reports (scroll down to our LEA Number 0197 and you will see links to the district's full plans).

School District 197 presented several reports to the school board and community over the past few years about how the COVID funding we received was used. Below are some of those meetings with the meeting presentations included (access by clicking on the link):

How does the District spend money from its general fund?

83% of our budget is spent on teachers and other staff salaries and benefits

45% Regular Instruction, examples include teachers, paraprofessionals, and substitute teachers; instructional materials; and intervention programs
20% Special Education Instruction, examples include teachers, paraprofessionals, and contracted services
10% Sites and Buildings, examples include operations and maintenance, utilities, and deferred maintenance
10% Pupil Support Services, examples include counselors and nurses, school security, and transportation
8% Instructional Support Services, examples include curriculum, instruction, and assessment; instructional technology; and staff development
6% District Support Services and Administration, examples include community relations, principals, and human resources
1% Fiscal and Other Fixed Costs, examples include property and liability insurance, and unemployment insurance

Note: We spend one-third less than the metro average on all forms of administration costs—things that students don’t directly see. And the money we save is money we put into the classrooms.

Do renters have to pay for an operating levy or capital projects levy?

Does the district receive technology funding from the state?

Where and when will I vote on this request?

Voters in School District 197 will be asked to go to the polls on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, to elect four school board members, vote on a capital project technology levy renewal, and vote on a new operating levy.

Absentee voting begins on September 22, 2023. Any voter may vote absentee—you do not need a reason. You do not need to be registered to vote to apply for an absentee ballot.

For more information about voting, click here.

What is the technology levy used for?

What levies does the district have in place?

2014: Capital levy for technology support of $2.3 million (expires in 2025, up for renewal now).
2016: Operating levy of $5.5 million (expires in 2027) - We have $6.2 million approximately for the current year but this fluctuates every year based on enrollment. This expires in 2028.
2018: Bonding for construction improvements of $117 million (expires in 2041)
2021: Operating levy of $1.2 million - Renewal. Expires in 2032.

Why do you need a referendum if schools were given extra funding from the 2023 legislative session?

We are grateful for the recent investment in our schools and the partial financial support it will provide for the district, but the amount needed to fully fund our schools is much higher than what was provided by the state. To raise enough money to avoid cuts to programs and services and an increase in class sizes, the District is asking voters to approve a referendum.

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