by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter

A double-fistful of local school districts have levies riding in next Tuesday’s (Nov. 3) election, and Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher has strong opinions on which  oval voters should blacken on the ballot.

Dooher appeared at the Capitol today (Thursday, Oct. 29) to urge Minnesota voters to vote “Yes” on the 57 local school district levies appearing on ballots across the state.

Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher appeared at the Capitol today (Oct. 29) to urge Minnesota voters to support local school district referendums next Tuesday, Election Day. Dooher argued that the levies represent a "lifeline" for school districts in troubled funding waters. (Photo by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter)

 

“It shouldn’t be the responsibility of the local taxpayers, but for now it is,” said Dooher, arguing for stronger state funding.

Ninety percent of Minnesota school districts rely on operating levies for funding — up from 78 percent six years ago, according to Education Minnesota.

Area school districts with levies on the ballot include Anoka-Hennepin, Big Lake, Cambridge-Isanti, Centennial, Milaca, Mora, North Branch, St. Francis and Spring Lake Park.

On pins and needles about the weather

“Right now, districts are on pins and needles, worried about the weather next Tuesday,” said Dooher.

School officials are worried about who shows up at the polls, who doesn’t, he said.

“I think everybody has a stake in this,” Dooher said of the fate of the levies.

The first thing people ask when considering living in a community is whether the local schools are good, said Dooher.

And seniors, people on fixed incomes, should remember that somebody stepped forward for them when they were the ones with children in schools, Dooher explained.

House K-12 Finance Committee member Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, views the levies as an exercise in local control.

If the local people believe the levy is necessary, they can support them, he explained.

Funding difficult to find

Dettmer is not optimistic lawmakers next session will be able to cobble together much in additional K-12 funding. “Don’t get your hopes up,” he warned.

Lawmakers will likely be looking at budget deficit for some time to come, he explained.

Dettmer spoke of the need to prioritize.

One place to look for additional funding could be the human services’ budget, he indicated.

Specifically, Dettmer suggested looking for possible fraud in the use of human services funding.

K-12 education currently makes up about 37 percent of the state’s general fund spending, with another nine percent  slated to higher education.

Health and human services accounts for about 29 percent of the spending in the $31 billion general fund budget.

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