Lake Superior School District adopts 4-day week after referendum fails
Related Stories
Silver Bay and Two Harbors will switch to a 4-day school week beginning in the fall. The Lake Superior School District approved the new schedule Wednesday after Tuesday's levy vote failed on all three questions by a 2-1 margin.
Under the new plan, the schedule will run Monday through Thursday with days about an hour longer but with a reduction in the number of days from 170 to 142. The 4-day schedule is projected to save the district $250,000 each year.
The May 18 special election gave voters three options, all of which were voted down.
Question one asked voters to approve a $550 per pupil unit increase, or about a $90 yearly property tax increase per $100,000 in taxable market value for ten years. Passing this proposal would have allowed the continuation of the five-day school week, the purchase of instructional materials, software, technology equipment, school buses, provide student opportunities in extra curricular, fine and performing arts, and year-round pool operation. The proposal failed, 3,550 to 1,420.
Question two asked voters to approve a per pupil unit increase of $425, or about a $70 increase in annual property tax rates per $100,000 in taxable market value, for ten years. Passing this proposal would have allowed the continuation of the five-day school week, plus the purchase of instructional materials, software, technology equipment and school buses. The proposal failed, 3,264 to 1,676.
Question three asked voters to approve a per pupil unit increase of $300, or about a $50 increase in annual property tax rates per $100,000 for ten years. Passing this proposal would have allowed the purchase of instructional materials, software, technology equipment and school buses and a 4-day week would have been implemented. That proposal failed, 3,164 to 1,773.
Based on 2009 information, 300 out of 340 Minnesota school districts have operating levies averaging approximately $918 per pupil unit. Currently, the Lake Superior School District has no operating levy. The district cut 25 positions during the 2006/2007 school year and reduced spending by more than a million dollars.
Tweet