Osseo Schools Begin Push to Inform Voters About Ballot Questions
Early voting begins Sept. 23, and for the first time in nearly a decade, voters in the Osseo School District will decide whether to raise their taxes to help fund needs in the classroom.
Voters will have two questions on the ballot this fall.
According to the district website, question one “requests an increase in the district’s operating levy, which pays for day-to-day learning and instructional needs. If approved by voters, it would provide an additional $7 million annually for the district to continue and expand individualized learning, academic interventions, student mental health needs and other critical classroom supports.”
Question two is a technology levy. The district says question two “requests an increase in the district’s capital project levy for technology. This pays for classroom learning technology, infrastructure systems and needed support staff. If approved by voters, it would provide an additional $2.3 million annually for the district to additionally prioritize school safety and security technology, tools and systems for all scholars and digital learning spaces throughout schools.”
Providing funding for technology improvements are one of the levy questions facing voters in the Osseo School District.
Informational sessions
The district is hosting a series of upcoming informational meetings where people can learn more about the ballot questions.
“So you’ll be able to talk to leaders, district leadership, school board members, one on one about any questions you might have going forward as well; so that you are informed as you fill out the ballot this fall,” said Kay Villella, the community relations director for Osseo Area Schools.
The school board voted unanimously to put the two questions on the ballot last March. The voters last approved operating and technology levies in 2013. Those levies are set to expire next year.
In the time since the last levies were approved, district officials say needs have grown significantly, while the state’s financial contributions have not kept up with inflation.
If voters approve both levies, the average impact for the owner of a $250,000 home would be around $9 a month.
“So 84% of our budget goes toward staff,” Villella said. “So if we do not receive funding, next school year, $5 million will need to be cut right off the bat, and then the next year would be 450 staff members and a significant budget cut, obviously, from that.”
The first informational meeting happens on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Osseo Senior High at 6 p.m.
The second meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 4 at Park Center Senior High.
The final meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 18 at Maple Grove Senior High School.
For more information on the meetings, and the ballot questions, you can go to Osseo Area Schools website.
Maple Grove Senior High School
Osseo Senior High School
Park Center Senior High School
