Area voters' response to four districts' operating levies were as varied as the proposals themselves.
Willmar, MACCRAY, New London-Spicer and Litchfield all requested more money from district taxpayers. One levy passed, two were rejected and one district got part of what it asked for.
Willmar voters OK first part of levy question
Willmar School District voters approved one portion of a two-part operating levy on Tuesday. With partial results available at midnight Tuesday, voters in the district appeared to have approved the first question, seeking $201.51, but to have turned away the second question, seeking $374.36 per student.
Question 1 was approved by 57 percent of the voters. The second question was voted down by 52 percent of the voters.
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Having the $201.51 per student will help the district avoid some budget cuts, and it will allow the district to collect the maximum state aid available to school districts with levies. However, the Willmar School Board is likely to have to cut $1.6 million from its budget next spring. The district has a general fund budget of $43 million this school year.
Had the second question passed, school officials said they could avoid budget cuts for two years.
Superintendent Jerry Kjergaard said he appreciated the community's support on the first question but was disappointed that both had not passed.
"Reductions aren't easy," he said. "There is no fat that I can see; what we're going to end up doing is cutting muscle and bone."
MACCRAY voters turn down operating levy
MACCRAY School District voters denied a $500 per student operating levy Tuesday.
Voters had approved a two-part levy a year ago.
The money in this year's levy would have been used to help maintain programs in the district's schools.
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The levy would have raised $372,000 a year for 10 years. The district has an annual budget of about $7 million.
Without the additional funding, school officials have said the district could be offering fewer electives in its high school, and all grades could have larger class sizes.
The district already has several levies that total $1,061 per student. A small portion of that is a four-year levy dedicated to capital improvements; the rest is used for the day-to-day operations of the district. The district also implemented a four-day school week this year in an effort to trim costs.
Superintendent Greg Schmidt said the district's leadership team would be meeting later this month to discuss how the district will proceed. School officials will continue to look for ways to increase efficiency, he added.
NLS voters OK levy of $597 per student
New London-Spicer School District will introduce a new $597-per-student operational levy in 2010.
District voters approved of the new property tax levy Tuesday evening with 3,262 voters choosing "yes" and 2,130 voting "no." The new levy replaces the district's expiring operating levy of $397 per student.
In the past two years, the district made $395,644 in budget cuts to maintain a solid financial footing. Superintendent Paul Carlson said last month that the district anticipated an additional $400,000 in budget cuts if district voters didn't pass Tuesday's levy question. About $1 million in cuts were also anticipated if the district waited until 2009 to propose the levy question to voters.
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District taxpayers will begin financing the new levy in 2010 after the district's $397-per-student levy expires. The new levy will expire in 2017.
Last week, the Schools for Equity in Education reported to the district that New London-Spicer School District was in the bottom 20 percent of school districts in state funding per student.
Litchfield voters deny $600 levy
Litchfield School District's streak of passing operational levy requests was ended by district voters Tuesday as 55 percent of voters said "no" to a $600-per-student levy.
Voters turned down the district's property tax levy question Tuesday. The vote was 3,215 to 2,631 with 28 of 30 Meeker County precincts reporting at press time.
