Four incumbents returned to board
Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) District #173 voters overwhelmingly approved a 10-year replacement operating levy following voting held today (Tuesday, November 3). There were 350 “yes” votes cast (84%), with 67 “no” votes (16%).
This vote will allow the school board to revoke its current operating levy of $1,347.45 per pupil and replace it with the exact same plan – keeping the current tax rate in place with no changes – for the next 10 years. This approval will be first effective for taxes payable in 2017. Any tax increase will come from anticipated cost increases due to inflation, not the levy. An inflation adjustment has been included, ensuring that the operating levy dollars don’t lose value over time.
This operating levy will increase the school district’s revenue by $718,460. Of that amount, 53% – or $383,407 – will come from local property taxes (the operating levy). The remaining 47% – $335,407 – will come to the district through state aid. The state contribution was contingent on the approval of the operating levy.
The Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) reports that school districts compiled a 90.4% passage rate Tuesday for operating levies, the highest since MSBA began tracking this information in 1980.
In addition, voters returned the four incumbents – all running unopposed – to their school board seats. In order of votes cast, the four elected to the four-year posts are Tom Fast (326 votes), Pam Hoek (310 votes), Chad Pedersen (288 votes) and Julie Brugman (278 votes). There were 163 votes for write-in candidates.
In other area school district elections:
+ Comfrey Public School – Approved a 10-year renewal of $624.12 per pupil by a vote of 183 to 14.
+ St. James St. James Public School – Passed (1,474 to 911) general obligation school building bonds in an amount not to exceed $23,955,000 to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction and equipping of additions, expansions and improvements to the Northside Elementary and St. James High School sites and facilities; the repair, renovation, upgrading, equipping and completion of various deferred maintenance projects, outdoor athletic improvements, paving, driveway, sidewalk and parking lot improvements, and safety and security projects at various school sites and facilities; the acquisition and installation of technology infrastructure at all schools; and the prepayment of a lease-purchase agreement previously entered into to finance the construction and equipping of an addition to the Northside Elementary School and also passed (1,643 to 733) a 10-year, $250 increase per pupil operating levy.