By Dave Prescott, No. 2 Pencil

This fall I have been out in our community having great conversations with a lot of people about our school programs, how they are funded and the need for an operating levy referendum. The following paragraphs summarize those thoughts.

State funding for public education has not kept up with student needs and our current operating levy ends in June of 2008, which places our school district in a difficult financial situation. Without any local levy our projected general fund revenue for the 2008-09 school year will be $31,550,000 and our projected expenses, even after subtracting the $1.1 million reduction for this school year, will be $34,180,000. To address this significant short fall, the District 241 school community has been asked for its help to ensure that we can continue to provide quality educational programs for the students attending our public schools. If we don&8217;t replace and increase the local operating levy, another $2 million will have to be cut from our educational programs for students.

On Nov. 6, 2007, the school district will conduct an operating levy referendum seeking permission to increase local funding for our schools. On that day the school community will help decide what kind of educational opportunities they want for our children.

Local funds from the new operating levy will help provide the resources that will:

– Reduce class sizes, especially at the lower elementary level

– Restore elementary bussing to the one-mile limit

– Continue to improve student academic success in reading, math and science

– Keep our All-Day-Every-Day kindergarten program

– Keep all four elementary buildings open as dictated by enrollment

– Keep our music and athletic programs strong

– Keep student technology up-to-date

– Allow our students daily access to our libraries (media centers)

Voters will be presented with two ballot questions.

The first question, if approved, will generate $869 per pupil unit.

The average value of a home in Albert Lea is about $100,000 so the average property owner’s taxes, over the expiring levy, would increase by $96 per year ($8/month).

Community approval of question one will stop the development of that two million dollar reduction plan for the 2008-09 school year, which I mentioned above.

If the second question is approved, an additional $89 will be added to the per pupil amount from question one, for a total of $958 per pupil.

The extra funding would not only stop the $2 million budget reduction process that is currently under way, but would also allow the school district to restore some of the cuts to student programs that are a part of the million dollar reduction plan put in place this school year.

If both questions are approved, the average property owner would see a $125 increase per year ($10.42/month or 35 cents/day). Even though there is a state set inflationary factor within these ballot questions, it is very likely that the cost to the property owners for this referendum will decrease each year because the community&8217;s tax base is growing and our schools have a slowly decreasing student population (the levy amount is based on a per pupil count).

Referendum information is available to community members in several different ways.

Information about the referendum has been sent out to all property owners, as part of a State required mailing. Please take the time to read through this information. Twelve community meetings have been scheduled, including eight in Albert Lea and four in surrounding community city halls.

Please visit our web site at albertlea.k12.mn.us for several referendum information options. The two local access channels also have information for you to view.

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to call or e-mail board members or me.

You are most welcome to attend school board meetings on the first and third Mondays each month, held at 7 p.m. at the Brookside Education Center.

I usually end my conversation with community members with these words that mean a great deal to me and to those who believe in education and our community:

Our children need the best education opportunities we can give them.

Our community needs a quality public school system to grow and prosper.

Our future depends on all of us accepting the responsibility for educating our children.

Please take the time to learn about the operating levy referendum and to vote on Nov. 6, 2007.

Dave Prescott is the superintendent of Albert Lea Area Schools.