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About Our District Keeping the levy's promises  November 1, 2007 You might have heard that nearly 100 Minnesota school districts will have levy requests on the ballot next Tuesday. However, Mounds View Public Schools is not among those because voters approved our levy referendum request last fall. As Election Day approaches, media organizations are taking an interest in these levies, and you can bet their stories will continue in the coming days. One of the latest articles I’ve read asks if higher taxes produce better schools. This seems like a logical question until you consider a new reality of school funding: Most levies today are not intended to improve test scores or student performance. Unfortunately after enduring years of inconsistent state funding and unfunded mandates, most districts now rely on levies simply to help pay for basic educational expenses – not improvements. I think a much more relevant question to ask would be “Are districts using levy money for the purposes they promised?” For Mounds View, the answer is yes. Average class sizes As promised, the District has used last year’s voter-approved levy dollars to keep class sizes in check. On average, elementary class sizes improved from last year's 22-33 range to this year's 22-31 range. In middle school core classes, average class sizes went from 35 students last year to 30 students this year. In our high schools we've reduced average core class sizes by about one student. Programs and services We’re also tapping levy funding to keep programs and services in place including: * Elementary band and orchestra * Access to District pools * A maintained co-curricular program * Career and Technical Education opportunities * The elementary High Performance program * Deans in the middle and high schools * Continued school support from central administrative services Fund balance Finally, we’re using levy funds to increase the District’s fund balance to help offset reductions we anticipate for the 2008-09 school year. Asking residents to increase their property taxes for schools is not an ideal situation for schools or residents – and it’s a request that Mounds View has not taken lightly. That’s why I think it’s important for our residents to be assured that Mounds View is appropriately using the funding that voters approved last fall. Regardless of who votes “yes” and who votes “no” for school levies, I think we all can agree that our current funding system is significantly flawed and that Minnesota schools desperately deserve a long-term solution. |
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