INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 196
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
LOCAL SCHOOLS LEVY REFERENDUM
November 2, 2010 General Election
O F F I C IAL N O T I C E AN D I N F O R MAT I O N
This notice about the proposed operating levy referendum in Independent School District 196 is being mailed
first class to all property owners in the district, as required by Minnesota Statutes Section 126C.17. This law
also requires the notice to include certain information which is contained herein.
Just the Basics
In August, the School Board of Independent School District 196
approved a resolution calling for a local schools levy referendum
question to be placed on the ballot in the November 2, 2010
General Election. If approved, this local schools levy referendum question would provide the school district an additional
$15 million in local levy authority each year for 10 years,
beginning with taxes payable in 2011. These additional local
revenues would be used to reduce the impact of expected cuts in
state funding for education beginning next year. District 196 has a­ lready
made budget adjustments totaling $25 million the past two years and is anticipating the need for more
­significant reductions in the years ahead because of the size of the state budget deficit ($6 billion).
The long-term financial health of public schools in Minnesota is dependent on the state, which has
responsibility for providing approximately three-fourths of all general fund operating revenues school
districts receive. In District 196, the state provides 73 percent of all general fund revenues compared to
20 percent from local property taxes. Local levy referendums are provided for in state law as a way local
taxpayers can supplement school district revenues; in this case, to help minimize the impact of anticipated
funding cuts from the state. That is the local levy option that the School Board is presenting to voters on the
November 2, 2010 General Election ballot.
The estimated tax impact of the proposed levy would be $280 per year to the owner of the average-value
home in District 196 ($238,541). Additional background information is contained in the remaining
pages of this official notice and at www.District196.org/Vote.
Educating our students to reach their full potential
L O C A L S C H O O L S L E V Y R E F E R E N D U M -- N O V E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 0
District 196 By the Numbers
1)Fourth largest school district in Minnesota:
•152,000 residents (26% under age 18)
•53,500 households (41% have preschool or school-age children)
•27,500 students (23% students of color; 20% qualify for free or reduced-price school meals)
•34 schools (rented 58,980 hours for community use in 2009)
•3,600 employees (2,050 teachers and other licensed staff)
•$314 million annual operating budget (average-spending district per pupil in the metro area)
2)Student and staff achievements both in and out of the classroom:
•District average score of 24.0 on the ACT compared to a Minnesota average score of 22.9, which was
highest in the nation
•Numerous state and nationally recognized programs in academics (i.e. speech and debate), the arts
(i.e. music and stage productions) and athletics (i.e. wrestling)
•95% graduation rate
3)Customer satisfaction and community quality measures:
•Nearly 9 out of 10 school-age children who live in District 196
attend District 196 schools, an 88% capture rate that is considered
among the highest in Minnesota.
•81.6% of District 196 residents surveyed in July 2010 gave
District 196 schools an overall grade of A or B. That compares to
51% of people nationally who gave their own local schools an A
or B grade in response to the same question in a national survey.
Residents’ Overall Grade
of District 196
B
(47.8%)
A
(33.8%)
•Two top 20 cities in Money magazine’s August 2010 list of
America’s Best Places to Live (Eagan, 15 and Apple Valley, 20).
C (10.3%)
D (2.3%)
F (0.5%)
Unable to evaluate (5.5%)
The State Budget Situation
1)The Legislature and governor will be facing a nearly $6 billion deficit by the time they convene the 2011
session in January to determine the state budget for the next two years.
2)Six billion dollars represents nearly one-fifth of the total state budget, more than the state spends annually
on higher education, public safety and all of state government combined.
3)The largest single category of spending in the state budget is E-12 education (40%).
www.District196.org/Vote
2
November 2, 2010
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 196
The District’s Financial Situation
1)Receives 73% of general fund revenues from the state, 20% from local property taxes, 3% from federal
aid and 4% from other sources such as grants and donations.
• T
he district will need to establish a budget for the 2011-12 school year before knowing what level of
funding the state will provide to support that budget.
2)Already made $25 million in budget adjustments (cuts and new revenue) in last two budgets in response
to flat funding from the state (consecutive years of 0% increases) and state-aid shifts (withheld payments
from schools).
• $ 15 million in cuts this year included 144 jobs, reductions to many academic-support programs and
elimination of transportation for after-school activities at all levels. Higher participation fees were
implemented for all sports and other student activities.
3)Planning for a 7% cut in state funding for education in 2011 based on the size of the state deficit and the
percentage of the state budget that education represents (see opposite page).
• T
ranslates to the need for another $23 million in budget adjustments for 2011-12, on top of the
$25 million the past two years.
The Local Levy Option
State law gives school boards the option to seek additional operating revenue through local, voter-approved
levy referendums, up to a cap of $1,554 per pupil. Ninety percent of Minnesota’s 340 school districts have
at least one levy in place and 28 school
communities are already at the state cap.
District 196 currently receives $1,042 per
The Ballot Question
pupil from levy questions approved in 2005.
The ballot question seeks
The $512 per pupil difference between that
to increase the district’s
amount and the state cap would generate an
annual levy authority by
additional $15 million in levy authority per
an additional $511.83
year, for 10 years.
per pupil for 10 years.
The amount would
• With the Levy – The additional
adjust each year by the
local revenue would be used to
rate of inflation. Passage
avoid most of the cuts that would be
of this referendum will
needed if the state cuts funding for
result in an increase in
education by 7%.
your property taxes (see
• Without the Levy – With a 7% state
table on back page). The
funding cut and no additional local
wording and formatting
revenue authority, necessary cuts
of the sentence at the
could include up to 200 more jobs,
bottom of the question is
reductions to most programs and
prescribed by law.
elimination of some, and reduced
transportation services at all levels.
www.District196.org/Vote
3
November 2, 2010
Independent School District 196
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools
3455 153rd St. W.
Rosemount, MN 55068
Educating our students to reach their full potential
Serving Apple Valley, Burnsville, Coates, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights,
Lakeville, Rosemount and Empire and Vermilion Townships
The Tax Impact
Estimated Annual Tax Impact of Levy Increase
(tax impact compared to payable 2010 school district taxes)
The estimated tax impact would be approximately $280 per year
or $5.38 per week on the average-value home in District 196.
The figures in the table at right apply to residential homesteads,
apartment owners and commercial and industrial property.
Agricultural property owners would pay taxes based only on the
value of the house, garage and one acre. Taxable market value is
determined by the Dakota County Assessor’s Office and is shown
on property tax statements. To determine the tax impact for a
specific property, use the tax impact calculator available at
www.District196.org/Vote.
Voting Information
Taxable Market
Value*
$100,000
$150,000
$200,000
$238,541
(district average)
$250,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
$1,000,000
Annual Taxes for
Referendum Only
$117
$176
$235
$280
$294
$352
$470
$587
$1,175
*Market value as determined by Dakota County Assessor’s
Office on your proposed property tax statement.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Since this is a General Election, it
is being conducted by the cities and townships. A voter must be registered to vote to be eligible to vote in this
election. You may register to vote at your polling place on Election Day. To determine where you should vote, go
to http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ or call the Superintendent’s Office at 651-423-7725. To vote by absentee ballot,
go to the Secretary of State website at http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=211 or contact your city or
township election office.
www.District196.org/Vote
4
November 2, 2010
Prepared and paid for by Independent School District 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools).
This publication is required by Minnesota Statutes Section 126C.17 and is not circulated on behalf of any candidate or ballot question.
10/5/2010