HASTINGS, Minn. — When voters head to the polls Tuesday, some will see school referendums seeking additional funding for school renovations, technology, mental health support and more.
There are 67 of these questions before voters across the state. Forty of them are for capital projects or bond questions while the remaining are operating levy requests to support classroom needs. A common ask this fall is for technology upgrades and enhanced cybersecurity, according to a list from the Minnesota School Boards Association.
“When [districts] go out for these, there’s a reason they’re asking for these,” said Kirk Schneidawind, executive director for the association. “They take these decisions very seriously. And they know how important it is not only for the students, but also the taxpayers in their community.”
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In Hastings, residents will be asked to choose from a slate of school board candidates and to weigh in on a 10-year levy of $2 million per year to sustain classroom equipment and boost security systems. The tax impact is about $100 per year for a person whose home is $275,000.
“We’re really hoping to put in the greatest extent possible to secure our information and to do that, unfortunately, that price tag just continues to escalate as well,” said Dr. Tammy Champa, superintendent of Hastings Public Schools.
Other districts have similar requests, whether it’s new funding or renewing existing levies. It comes at a time when cyberattacks are a prominent threat to organizations nationwide, including schools.
Just this year, Minneapolis Public Schools faced a data breach that compromised thousands of files with personal information dating back years and Rochester’s district also came under attack in the Spring, prompting a $10 million ask of their voters this election.
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Tech levies aren’t anything new, Champa said. But a focus on allocating some of those dollars for cybersecurity is a more recent trend as districts grapple with the aftermath following an attack. A report from IBM this summer found that dealing with such a breach can cost $4.5 million.
“When other districts are experiencing this, I think the reality becomes just that—a reality,” Champa said. “We read a lot today that it’s not if, it’s when, so how do we best protect our sensitive information for both our students and our staff, and families.”
Twenty-five districts had referendums earlier this year, according to the school boards association. In total this year there were 65 districts that sought bond and capital project levies—the most since 2017.
On Tuesday, there are 27 districts proposing new operating levies, which is the lowest number since 1984, the association’s data showed.
