Voters in Osseo School District See First Levy Requests in 10 Years
For the first time in 10 years, voters in the Osseo School District will notice levy referendums on their general election ballot.
“It covers a lot of different elements that over time we’ve lost buying power with,” said Osseo Superintendent Cory McIntyre.
The first question would renew and increase the operating levy by $7 million a year to pay for daily classroom learning needs. A second request would renew and increase a technology levy by $2.3 million annually.
McIntyre says both levies are crucial in keeping up with district needs and inflationary pressures.
“It’s about 15 percent of the total budget for these dollars. And we’ve also lost about 50 percent buying power over last 10 years due to inflation and growing needs in our school district,” said McIntyre.
State and federal dollars combined with the levies help fund schools.
The technology levy referendum which would pay for everything from building security measures to cybersecurity.
The impact on the median valued home of $250,000 would be close to $9 a month if both levies are approved.
“When we have strong schools, we have strong communities, and so that investment pays off down the line,” said McIntyre.
Michelle Salomone at the front of her third-grade class.
Teachers: Pandemic Proved Importance of Funding Requests
For Garden City Elementary School teacher Michelle Salomone, the operating levy would help pay for added teacher supports to help students who have had to endure a long pandemic.
“We’ve seen a lot of hurt and stress, mental health difficulties, not just with the adults that have gone through it, but with these kids,” said Salomone.
Salomone’s third-grade class has had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic since they were in kindergarten.
“This is, Lord willing, our first normal year. So just thinking about how important it is to get more resources to them so they can grow up to be the future generation,” said Salomone.
District officials are trying not to think about the repercussions if both levies don’t pass, but they acknowledge the cuts will be deep. McIntyre said the district would be looking at about $50 million in cuts, which would be 450 to 500 staff members or roughly 15 percent of the district’s 3,500 staff members.
Osseo district schools, like many others, will also lose COVID-19 relief funding, one-time dollars that helped pay for academic supports to help kids struggling with math or reading. Those funds expire at the start of the 2023-24 school year. The operating levy renewal and increase would help make up for that.
The district will host one last informational meeting on the levies. It takes place Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Maple Grove Senior High School.
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