Pass or fail: Did Minnesota school districts get the additional taxpayer support they wanted?

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (KTTC) – Minnesota voters weighed in on nearly 100 school-related ballot measures this week. The statewide results showed a majority of the Nov. 4 referenda got the greenlight at the polls.

According to the the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), 96 total questions were asked by school districts across the Gopher State. 60 of those proposals were approved by voters. That’s a pass rate of 62.5%.

Voters decided the outcomes of three different types of referenda. The majority of the questions were for operating levy increases to fund day-to-day school expenses. The MSBA data showed nearly 70% of proposed operating levies passed on Tuesday. Building bond proposals proved a tougher sell for Minnesota school districts, with a little more than 50% of all building-related referenda being approved. Capital project levies, which funds improvement areas like technology, saw a statewide pass rate of around 64%.

This November’s 68% pass rate, specifically for operating levies, landed higher than the previous two years. A 70% pass rate was achieved by school districts in 2021. Considering this trend, many of the school districts that saw successes at the polls this time around had failed attempts last year and some the year prior, as well.

Southeastern Minnesota voters decided outcomes on nine school funding measures. Locally, the pass rate was approximately 67%, which is in line with this year’s statewide average.

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