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Shakopee Schools have been forced to make large budget cuts following the failure to pass the 2021 Levy

-teachers have been laid off

-classrooms sizes are increasing

-classes have been cut

-special needs services continue to be insufficiently funded

-economic limitations from covid - taxes

- taxes why should people without children in school pay for our education

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Vote "yes" on November 2nd, 2021 for the Shakopee operating levy.
Educate people on the effects of the budget cuts and the benefits of improved education.
Spread awareness on the levy, urge Shakopee to come together as a community and improve student's lives.

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https://www.swnewsmedia.com/shakopee_valley_news/news/election/shakopee-public-schools-operating-levy-fails-meaning-48-teaching-positions-cut/article_3fdada68-d41b-5c64-baf3-473aa382449f.html

https://www.shakopee.k12.mn.us/domain/2797

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/an-overview-of-the-funding-of-public-schools

https://www.idra.org/resource-center/improving-educational-impact-through-community-and-family-engagement/

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The Shakopee School District will cut 48 teaching positions, middle school athletics and fifth-grade band for the 2021-2022 school year after Shakopee voters said no to the $9 million operating levy referendum, according to unofficial results released early Nov. 4.

The unofficial results for the referendum show 12,697, or 54.09%, of voters cast their ballots against the proposed $9 million phased-in property tax levy, and 10,776, or 45.91%, voted for it.

Moving forward

$5.4 million in cuts were approved by the Shakopee School Board earlier this year in the case of a failed referendum. The levy ask came in the wake of a long-discussed $2.5 million budget deficit for the 2021-22 school year that, if left alone, would snowball until the district's fund balance is $26 million in the hole by 2024. Since the levy has failed, cuts are needed to bridge the gap.

That's in addition to the $2 million in cuts the district will already make the next two years, which will largely affect district administration, paraprofessionals and learning coaches. Those cuts will include Shakopee High School assistant principal, seven digital learning and instructional coaches, 10 paraprofessionals and a reduction of spending on Learning, Teaching and Equity.

The $5.4 million in cuts will be felt across the district. In addition to the 48 full-time-equivalent teaching positions that will be eliminated, fifth grade band and middle school athletics will be cut, along with several more full-time-equivalent positions ranging from custodial staff to paraprofessionals to high school counselors.

The district said earlier this year that a failed levy means it would need to make $11.15 million in budget cuts in the next five years.

The phased-in levy would have amounted to $3.6 million for taxes payable 2020-2021; $2.7 million the second year; $1.8 million the third year and $900,000 for the final year, for a total increase $1,000 per pupil.

"If we just make cuts, we're ultimately hurting our students, which ultimately hurts our future," board chair Kristi Peterson said before voting to put the levy on the ballot box at a school board meeting in July. "And I just can't do that."

Though the cuts have already been approved by the school board, a specific list of which staff members and teachers will lose their jobs has not yet been discussed by the board. Staffing decisions are typically made in the spring, the district said. Names will not be made public.

Peterson told the Valley News Nov. 4 that proposing another operating levy referendum to voters "will be a discussion point" moving forward. But she said the first thing the board will need to focus on is why it failed in the first place.

A loss for the district

The decision is a huge disappointment to the district, which has maintained that state education funding has not kept pace with inflation or mandates.

Peterson said she's unsure exactly why the referendum failed, adding she is disappointed and takes full responsibility for the levy's failure as chairwoman.

"I thought there was a positive vibe around the community around the levy," Peterson said. "I don't think there was one thing that caused it to fail; I'm sensing there's probably a lot of contributing pieces."

Peterson said some of those contributing factors include the financial stress among many families from the COVID-19 pandemic and the presidential election. She also added there may still be leftover distrust in the district from the dilemma surrounding former Superintendent Rod Thompson, who served prison time for swindling and embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the district.

"I get it; people are skeptical. But at some point, you have to let go of that," Peterson said. "Old news doesn't get better with age."

The school board offered a phased-in option which gave voters the opportunity to see little change in net tax impacts after debt service levy falls off the books next year.

Despite the shaky economy, board members were unanimously opposed to cutting teachers without giving voters the chance to take to the ballot box.

"It's our job to improve the quality of education in our districts," board member Matt McKeand said in June. "I don't see how taking 48 teachers out of our workforce ... is doing that. Quite the opposite."

Each of the three newly-elected school board members have also voiced their support for the passing of the operating levy referendum and encouraged Shakopee residents to vote yes.

Board member Tim Brophy, who was reelected this year, said before the results came through Nov. 3 that if the levy passed, it would help the district better focus on equity and building back trust with the community.

"If the levy fails, that's going to have to be a big priority," he said, referring to making decisions with fewer financial resources.

"I'm sure the results of the voting on the operating levy are incredibly disappointing to our students and staff," Superintendent Mike Redmond said Nov. 4 in a district press release. "I also know our community is dealing with the economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of the limitations on our resources, we will continue to do our best to serve our students and community."

Absentee ballots received after Election Day are set aside and not currently included in results. The courts and the Secretary of State's office will determine whether those ballots will be included in the complete official results.

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Shakopee Public Schools operating levy fails, meaning 48 teaching positions cut

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Shakopee School District will cut 48 teaching positions, middle school athletics and fifth-grade band for the 2021-2022 school year after Shakopee voters said no to the $9 million operating levy referendum, according to unofficial results released early Nov. 4.

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Shakopee voters

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During the 2020 election the same levy passed and the school had to make $5.4 million in budget cuts. This is currently affecting students and teachers during the 2021/2022 school year. Classes have been cut, teachers have been laid off, class sizes have increased, and funding for special programs have been significantly cut.

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-$409 in taxes turn into ~$866 per student in school funding
-Better education heavily improves the community
-most schools in Minnesota receive an operating levy
-Shakopee is competitive with schools in the area but receives less funding
-funding per student hasn't kept up with inflation

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As a community voters need to invest in students future and care about the state of the school. The importance of quality education is insurmountable and positively affects the community in many ways.

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Why should citizens with no children in schools pay more taxes for the school?

- more people moving into Shakopee
- growth of the city
-higher property value
-education is beneficial to everyone

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-people don't want their taxes increased especially if the levy doesn't affect them
-Many voters are ignorant to what the levy does
-all about money

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I am a student at Shakopee schools who has been directly affected by these budget cuts.

I will be interviewing someone who is a part of the staff of Shakopee schools.