Reaching consensus on an operating levy

Our school board conducted a work session on the subject of a fall operating levy Thursday night, and had a robust and productive discussion. As reported in this issue, the school board reached consensus on a single question with a tax impact of $120 on an average home for three years.

I encourage everyone to access the podcast of the meeting at the district home page (www.northbranch.k12.mn.us) and listen in. We are fortunate to have a diverse school board, and members’ care and concern for the community and district is evident in each of their positions.

With passage of the proposal, the school district would see additional revenue of roughly $1.5 million annually to soften cuts while we wait for the state to address inequities in education funding. It’s short duration would allow taxpayers to assist the district through these difficult times without a long-term commitment.

The operating levy question as decided upon by the school board is an attempt to meet the community “half way” and it was exciting to hear school board members discuss the opportunity to mitigate cuts in the short term.

NBAPS is facing another projected $2.5 million in cuts next year, on top of roughly $14 million in cuts over the last decade. As I’m writing this column, the state is waking up to a government shutdown that could linger for weeks. While we hope the legislature and governor will be able to come together and solve the problems with school funding, the shutdown suggests that the two sides of the political aisle remain far apart on major issues.

Waiting is not an option for us; we must find ways to reduce the effect cuts have on our community’s children. Soon you will hear more about the levy, what it will mean for education, and its effect on the community. It is my hope, with or without a levy, the end result of this process is stakeholders with a better understanding of the district’s situation and the impact it is having on education.

(end)