Q. What is an operating referendum, why are they needed, and what do they do? 

A. An operating referendum is a necessary part of school funding in Minnesota. Nearly all school districts rely on referendum revenue to cover part of the cost of public education. For decades, funding from the state has not kept up with inflation or the rising costs of doing business. In order to provide high-quality educational services to support students’ learning, and meet mandated requirements, school districts need funding from other sources such as referendums, grants and the federal government. Operating referendum questions ask voters to authorize a specific amount of funding per pupil that comes from local property taxes. 

Learn more about school funding by watching this video:

Q: What is the Nov. 7, 2023 referendum for?

A: This referendum asks voters to consider two questions. 

Question 1 asks voters to increase general education funds to staff and operate the new elementary school. 

Question 2 asks voters to consider increasing general education funds to expand K-12 mental health, behavioral and academic support, and the means to attract and retain highly qualified staff. Question 2 can only pass if Question 1 also passes. 

The request for Question 1 addresses crucial staffing and operating components necessary to operate Highview Elementary, including hiring a school principal, support and office staff, custodial and grounds staff, a school counselor, and other specialists. It would also cover the costs of utilities and instructional supplies. Building Highview Elementary, the district’s new 750-student elementary school, was approved by voters in 2021. Construction began in summer 2022 and the school will be ready to open fall 2024. Continued growth in the school district, especially at the elementary level, is putting increasing pressure on our elementary school capacity. Conservative estimates indicate district growth at the elementary level will increase more than 17% in the next five years – which translates to more than 900 new elementary students.

The request for Question 2 addresses the need to expand essential mental health, behavioral and academic support for K-12 students to help them thrive. It is a school district’s responsibility to support the growth, development and success of its students. Additionally, at a time where school districts are faced with worker shortages and rising costs, the request includes the means to attract and maintain highly qualified staff to support our students. 

Because this cost is spread over all property owners in the district over the course of 10 years, the tax impact for the average homeowner ($465,000 value home) is about $15 per month. Learn more about the tax impact on our .

Q. What happens if the referendum passes?

A: If voters approve the referendum, the new 750-student elementary school will open in Fall 2024 to accommodate our growing elementary student enrollment in a thoughtful and planful way, and alleviate overcrowding currently happening in some elementary schools. We'll be able to address crucial staffing and operating components necessary to operate Highview Elementary, including hiring a school principal, support and office staff, custodial and grounds staff, a school counselor, and other specialists. It would also cover the costs of utilities and instructional supplies. 

Student mental health, behavioral and academic support will be expanded and standardized to support our growing K-12 students to help them excel in school, and we’ll have the means to attract and maintain highly qualified staff to support them. 

Q. What happens if the referendum fails?

A: If voters do not approve the referendum our urgent needs would persist due to enrollment growth and student needs. Without funding:

• Our elementary school class sizes will increase, limiting personalized attention for students, and causing overcrowding. Temporary attendance area adjustments may be necessary to ease overcrowding where possible, which may cause potentially significant disruptions to students, staff and families.
• Essential K-12 mental health, behavioral and academic support services would be limited further, hindering the growth and success of students.
• Worker shortages and rising costs will continue to impact our ability to hire and keep good teachers and staff. This impacts how things run and our students in the end.

If Question 2 is approved, a comprehensive restructuring of our student services and administrative services at the secondary level would occur, as well as additional support for our elementary schools and early childhood programming. This restructuring aims to provide greater consistency and enhanced support for students across all of our schools. It is designed to enhance our district's capacity to meet the social-emotional and academic needs of our students. As part of this restructure, the District would add 32 positions overall, with a net gain of 24.8 positions.

Question 2 will align our schools with a more traditional model of student support, involving the addition of school counselors, school social workers, elementary behavior interventionists, and middle school assistant principals to reinforce our student support system:

Here is a synopsis of the staffing adjustments and staffing additions should Question 2 pass:

• The dean/assistant principal role will evolve into an assistant principal, while the student support specialist position will be discontinued.(Note: These staff will have the opportunity to be placed in similar positions based on their licensure.)

• Six (6) high school counselors, with three designated for each high school.

• One (1) social worker to split time between the two high schools.

• One (1) coordinator splitting time between Lakeville Pathways Academy and Lakeville Online Academy.

• One (1) school counselor splliting time between Lakeville Pathways Academy and Lakeville Online Academy.

• Three (3) middle school assistant principals, one for each middle school.

• Six (6) school counselors at the middle school level, with two for each middle school.

• One (1) social worker dividing time between McGuire Middle School and Century Middle School.

• One (1) social worker splitting time between the Area Learning Center and Kenwood Trail Middle School.

• Seven (7) elementary behavior interventionists provide consistent support across elementary buildings (Note: Oak Hills Elementary and Christina Huddleston Elementary currently have these staff roles).

• Five (5) social workers dividing their time at the elementary/early childhood level.

To view a before-and-after staffing chart by level, .

In short, Question 2 is driven by our commitment to providing the best possible support to our students. With additional staff, schools can enhance mental health, behavioral and academic services to ensure that our students receive the support they deserve.

Q. How would funds be used to attract and retain high-quality staff for our school district?

A. Investing in attracting and retaining high-quality staff is crucial for the success and growth of our school district as they are the backbone of a successful educational system. They provide the knowledge, skills, support and mentorship that shape our students' futures. When we have highly-skilled teachers and staff, we can deliver a higher level of education and services that equip our students for success. 

High-quality staff enhance the school environment positively by inspiring, motivating, and engaging students, through relationship building, which leads to improved academic outcomes. Additionally, in a rapidly changing world, skilled staff ensure that our students receive the most up-to-date and effective education possible. And, by retaining experienced staff, we can ensure that our students can benefit from consistent, stable and effective teaching and learning practices over time. High staff turnover disrupts the educational experience and impacts our students.

Thriving schools with excellent staff help build thriving communities. A thriving school system contributes to the desirability of our community, which can positively impact the greater community including property values.

Many school districts are facing shortages of qualified staff due to rising costs. By investing in our staff, we can attract and retain talented staff who might otherwise be drawn to other districts or industries. When we invest in hiring and keeping excellent staff, we provide our students with the best chance to excel academically and in their personal development.

Funds would be used to reverse the salary cap that was instituted during the budget reductions in the 2022-23 school year in order to ensure staff can be paid in alignment with their expertise. Funds would also be used to ensure there are consistent academic, behavioral and mental health supports in all schools so that teaching staff have the support they need to want to come to Lakeville Area Schools and stay here. 

Q: When and where can I vote?

A: The vote is Nov. 7, 2023. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Learn more about where and how to vote on our Voting Information page. In Minnesota you do not need a reason to vote early. Early voting - by mail or in-person - begins Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Learn more about early voting on our Voting Information page.

While most of the polling locations are the same as they were in November 2022, special elections for school districts do combine some polling locations. The best way to find your polling location is to visit the Secretary of State’s . If you still have questions about where to vote, contact Kim Elsen at 952-232-2001 or Kim.Elsen@isd194.org. 

Q. What is the tax impact?

A: If approved by voters, the tax impact for the average homeowner ($465,000 value home) is about $15 per month. Learn more about the tax impact and use the tax impact calculator for any residence on our .

Q: How much will the referendum generate?

A: The total levy request is for $4.6 million per year which will cover the costs of staffing and operating Highview Elementary School ($1.3 million), as well as expanding K-12 mental health, behavioral and academic supports for students, and having the means to attract and retain highly qualified staff to support students ($3.3 million).

 Because this cost is spread over all property owners in the district over the course of 10 years, the tax impact for the average homeowner ($465,000 value home) is about $15 per month. Learn more about the tax impact on our

Q: Why weren't operating costs for the new elementary school included in the 2021 referendum?

A: Per state law, school districts rely on locally approved funding for some of their needs that are brought to voters via referendum votes. In May 2021, the school district held a bond referendum to purchase land and construct Highview Elementary based upon growing student enrollment and projected capacity challenges. Because the new school would not open for three more years (fall 2024), it would have been premature to ask for a levy increase so far in advance of the school’s opening. Because state funding provided per pupil is not enough to pay for the school’s operating costs (staff, classroom materials, etc.), the school district needs to ask voters to support the difference by increasing its operating levy, which are locally approved dollars all Minnesota school districts rely on to operate their schools. 

Bond referendums, like the one in 2021, ask for funds for construction, while levy referendums, like this one, ask for funds for operations. In short, bonds are for building and levies are for learning. 

Q: Who will attend the new elementary school? What is the process for attendance area adjustments?

A: Attendance area boundaries for the new school will be developed in collaboration with our school community. 

The Board of Education began discussions about the planning and development process during the work session on Sept. 19. Because the new elementary will not open until fall 2024, stakeholder input collection will begin this winter, after the election outcome is known. Attendance area adjustments would not be finalized until spring 2024.

Q: Where is the new school located?

A: Highview Elementary School is located on 35 acres of land located at in Lakeville. The location on Highview Avenue was picked based on its road access, utilities infrastructure locations, size of the property, and student enrollment growth. The location is just east of King Park, east of Century Middle School and south of Cherry View Elementary. There are several new neighborhoods close to the school, including some that are still being actively constructed. Construction of Highview Elementary began in summer 2022 with a targeted opening date of fall 2024.

Q: How do you develop your enrollment projections?

A: Our grade 1-12 projections are based on historical year over year increases for each grade. Our kindergarten projections are based on historical trends in kindergarten enrollment, because they don’t have a previous grade to base their growth on.

In general, we get more families at all grades every year than we had the prior year, due to the new housing being built within district boundaries and new families moving to our district.  Data indicates most families move to our district when their children are young to enroll in our schools, which is causing accelerated growth focused at the elementary level. We use housing permits to confirm whether historical trends will continue, but we don’t rely on them to determine our projections to take a conservative approach. Our projections are based on actual numbers of students who have previously enrolled, and thus are student-centered not housing-centered. The district’s projections are done by a third party vendor as well as tracked internally by our student information services department.

Q: If the district is growing so much, will we need more space at the middle school and high school levels too?

A: Our overall student enrollment (early childhood through Grade 12) is projected to grow 30% in the next decade. We currently have enough capacity at our middle and high schools, but growth of the district does mean more school space will be needed in the future. 

We anticipate our ongoing growth will lead to future school building needs, and continually assess projections to track needs. We intend to wait to make any additional requests of our residents until space is needed 

The district takes a conservative and respectful approach by asking the community for what it needs, when it’s needed. 

Q. Can we close open enrollment to alleviate overcrowding in our schools? 

A. In accordance with the Minnesota Department of Education, Lakeville Area Schools must continue to review open enrollment applications. However, we have strict guidelines about who is accepted via open enrollment, and acceptance is based on the capacity of each school.  

Q. Why is funding for student mental health, behavioral support and academic support important?

A: Funding for social/emotional supports related to academics, behavior and mental health is crucial to ensure the overall well-being and success of our students. It is the school district’s responsibility to provide students with the tools they need to overcome challenges and excel in their educational journey. 

Adequate funding will allow our schools to offer counseling services, resources and tools that promote mental wellness. Behavioral support funding would enable schools to implement programs that address behavioral challenges, promote positive coping skills and create a supportive environment for students. Academic funding support would allow our schools to offer more academic resources, like tutoring, that help students thrive in their studies. 

Right now, schools have some support in these areas, but there are inconsistencies based on the funds available and the needs at each school. Funds would be used to ensure a baseline of academic, behavioral and mental health support is available at each school, with additional supports available based on programmatic needs.

When students receive these supports they build confidence and feel supported in these various aspects, which makes them more likely to be engaged, persist through challenges, improve understanding of subjects, and be successful in school. 

These resources will help ensure a well-rounded student experience, higher academic achievements and a supportive school culture. Investment in these supports is an investment in the future success and well-being of students and our broader community.

Q. Didn’t the state legislature provide school districts with funding increases this past spring? Why are school districts still faced with financial challenges?

A: In 2023, the Minnesota state legislature allocated a historical increase in funding to schools. While increases to education funding were substantial, the amount of funding received from the state is still not enough to adequately fund operational and student needs. Ongoing funding challenges facing many school districts like Lakeville Area Schools include:

• Core funding streams, such as the basic education formula and local optional revenue, have not kept pace with inflation for decades resulting in schools falling behind in funding and relying more on the support of their local communities through referendums. While the basic education formula is now tied to inflation, there is still a funding gap based on the historical shortfalls. 

• The bill also introduced new requirements for school districts, which were not all fully funded.

• Inflation, including on transportation and utility costs, coupled with worker shortages have further strained school district budgets, making it harder to keep up with rising costs and competitively attract and retain staff.

• Federal resources provided through the pandemic to support students are decreasing significantly or have ended altogether.

• And, the effects of the pandemic have caused state-wide student enrollment fluctuations, which impacts school district budgeting as funding allocations to school districts depend on the number of students enrolled year-to-year.

To shed light on this complex topic, this video explains how school funding works in our state. It covers aspects such as state and local funding mechanisms, as well as how state mandates influence allocation of funds based on mandatory categories. By watching this video, you can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding school funding.

You can also learn more about school funding at .

Q. How does Lakeville Area Schools per pupil funding compare to other area school districts?

A: Compared to Minnesota school districts of our size and/or area, Lakeville Area Schools lags an average of $407 per pupil or $5.4 million in operational levy revenue per year.

Q: Does all the new growth in our community mean more tax dollars for the schools? 

A. More new homes do not result in more income to the school district - but it does mean that any city, county or school tax burden is spread over more residents. Thus, when our community grows, tax rates go down and individual homeowners’ taxes are lower. School districts are required to ask their residents to approve referendums to pay for new operating expenses, buildings and technology, because  state funding does not adequately cover the cost of student needs and district operations. State law does not allow school districts to levy taxes on only a subset of taxpayers.  If this request is approved by voters on Nov. 7, the estimated tax impact is about $15 a month for the average homeowner ($465,000 value home).

A: No. On , the Board of Education approved a property sale agreement with U.S. Home LLC (Lennar) to sell district property located on the north side of Kenwood Trail Middle School. Funds from the sale agreement with the U.S. Home LLC (Lennar) for the 14-acre property at Kenwood Trail Middle School could only be used for capital projects, such as property or remodeling costs per state guidelines. These funds would support future facility projects as our district continues to grow in population. They cannot be used for general operating costs, which are part of our upcoming Nov. 7 referendum request. 

A. Why is there a seasonal sports dome at Lakeville North High School and not at Lakeville South High School?

A. In 2021, a private entity, Dome Partners LLC, stepped forward to finance the construction and maintenance of a seasonal sports dome on the district's dome-ready turf field at Lakeville North High School, incurring no cost to the district. The Board of Education formally approved this sports dome agreement with Dome Partners LLC on April 27, 2021. The district is not responsible for dome upkeep, management, mechanical systems, and utility expenses. This agreement ensured equal access to the sports dome's facilities for both Lakeville North High Schools and Lakeville South High Schools. Additionally, the agreement included an exclusive option for Dome Partners LLC to have first rights to construct and maintain a second seasonal dome on the dome-ready turf field at Lakeville South High School within 12 months of the agreement date, all at zero cost to the district for which the group ultimately passed on. Should another third-party express interest in financing a sports dome at Lakeville South High School, the district remains open to considering all available options.