• Upcoming Votes: Operating Levy and Capital Projects Levy

    Operating Levy (Questions 1 and 2):

    On November 5, voters in the Barnesville School District will decide on a referendum to increase the operating levy by $750 per student. This increase would generate an estimated additional $652,651 per year for the next 5 years. The funds would be used to:

    • Preserve current class sizes

    • Attract and retain top educators

    • Provide reading specialists and academic support

    • Support essential services like nursing, social work, and mental health

    • Enhance career and technical education (e.g., agriculture, trades)

    • Offer a variety of activities and sports for all students

    Capital Projects Levy (Question 3):

    Also on November 5, Barnesville Public School will seek approval for a capital project levy to:

    • Invest in technology by replacing student iPads, upgrading software, and maintaining digital systems that support innovative learning

    • Fund a 7-year curriculum review cycle to ensure students have access to up-to-date textbooks and resources

    Understanding the difference between an operating levy and capital project levy

    • Operating Levy: A school operating levy is a voter-approved property tax that helps fund a school district's general operations, including staff compensation, educational programming, classroom supplies, facility operations, and other educational expenses. 

    • Capital Projects Levy: A capital projects levy is a voter-approved tax for funding that can only be used for specific school infrastructure, curriculum, technology, and transportation projects.

    Duration of operating levy and capital project levy

    The proposed operating levy will be in effect for 5 years, while the capital projects levy will last for 10 years. The district is requesting a 5-year term for the operating levy to secure enough revenue to manage and navigate through the current economic challenges.

    • The proposed operating levy will be in effect for 5 years.

    • The capital projects levy will last for 10 years.


    Why additional funding is needed

    Despite recent budget cuts of $891,546 and other cost-control efforts, Barnesville Public School still faces critical financial challenges that could result in eliminating teacher and staff positions, increasing class sizes, reducing course offerings, cutting academic support and mental health services, shrinking career and technical education programs, and reducing or eliminating extracurricular activities.

    Why Barnesville Public School is facing a budget deficit

    Six primary reasons behind need for operating referendum and capital project levy:

    • Rising Inflation Rates:  The increasing cost of goods and services has put additional financial pressure on the district, necessitating careful budget adjustments.

    • Conclusion of ESSER Funds:  The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, which provided significant financial support during the pandemic, will no longer be available after the 2023-2024 school year.

    • Limited Increase in State Funding:  For the 2024-2025 school year, the state formula provides only a 2% increase in per-pupil funding, which is insufficient to cover rising costs and inflation.

    • Decline in Student Enrollment: The district experienced a decline of 31 students between the end of 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, leading to reduced funding and the need for budget adjustments.

    • Employee Contract Settlements: School employee contract settlements have been higher than average across the state.

    • New State Mandates: Recent state mandates, including requirements for summer unemployment insurance, have introduced additional costs that the district must accommodate within its budget.

    These factors combined have made it necessary for the district to implement significant budget savings to ensure financial stability and continued provision of quality education.

    The State of Minnesota provides the majority of funding for school districts, but funding has not reflected the rising cost of education over the past 20 years. The chart below shows the gap between the funding that school districts in Minnesota have received from the state’s General Fund and the funding those school districts would have received if state funding had kept pace with inflation. 

    General Education Formula Allowance Graph from 2003-2025

    As a result of the shortfall in state funding and other factors, most school districts across Minnesota have turned to their local communities to help cover the cost of student services and educational programs.