6 October 2023
Voters in the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan School District will see two questions on the November ballot — whether to approve an additional operating levy to bring in $731 per student and renewing a previously approved capital project to fund technology.
District officials say the additional operating levy will allow them to maintain class sizes and avoid budget cuts to programs and staff.
For elementary school, class sizes curently are about 23.5 students average per classroom.For middle school, they are 28 average per classroom and for high school, they are about 34.5 average per classroom.
The additional levy would increase annual taxes on an average-priced house in the district by $153 or $12.75 a month for the average-priced house of $350,000 in the district.
Technology
The renewal of the capital project to fund technology will allow the district to continue to fund technology improvements, including devices for students and staff, internet access and fiber connectivity, telecommunications, tech infrastructure, software licenses, training, and salaries of tech staff, according to district officials.
The capital project currently brings in $2.3 million a year. It adds $75 in taxes to an average-priced house of $350,000 in the district.
Voters previously approved a $117 million bond referendum in 2018 to fund facilities improvements.
Voters also renewed an operating levy in 2021, which tied future levies to inflation. At that time, district officials estimated the tax impact for the average-priced home to be $61 a year. In 2022, the tax base went up, and the cost to taxpayers went down to $59 per year. In 2023, the tax base increased again, and the cost to taxpayers went down to $50 per year.
For more information about the ballot questions go to isd197.org/vote2023.
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