<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1sBlQt_1GuS1WFO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1sBlQt_1GuS1WFO00" width="1726" height="1201" ><figcaption>Randolph Public Schools. File photo</figcaption></figure>The Randolph Schools operational levy referendum failed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with 724 “no” votes to 674 “yes” votes. The school district was asking the community to approve a $450 per pupil increase in student funding through the operational levy, which would come to about $390,000 each year in additional revenue for a term of 10 years. An operational levy is for the day-to-day operations of a district for areas like employment, utilities, supplies, technology, extracurriculars, etc. It is not for building a new school, which would require a bond referendum. “I didn’t have a good feeling going in, we didn’t have a lot of people who came to the (informational) meetings,” said Superintendent Mike Kelley about his reaction to the referendum failing. “In just talking with the board, it was the first time we’ve literally ever had an operating referendum. (With) Dakota County’s taxes going up 18-20%, I knew it would be tough. I’m hoping that it was something we needed to go through once so our community could get educated and understand.”The district held a handful of informational meetings this fall for teachers, staff and community members. Kelley explained in the presentations that state funding for schools has not kept up with inflation/costs and unfunded mandates by the state – requirements the districts have to meet/provide but do not receive funding from the state and have to bear the costs for. He said that the district was looking at having to ask for an operational levy referendum back before COVID started, but the influx of students who enrolled at Randolph during the pandemic brought in funding which delayed that need until now. However, in the aftermath of the pandemic, Randolph’s enrollment has started to normalize as the incoming/younger classes are not as large as those that have been graduating. The trend of students pursuing alternate learning paths like online, PSEO, homeschooling, etc continue to gain momentum and those trends will only continue to affect not only Randolph’s enrollment, but enrollment numbers statewide.Kelley did want to refute a rumor that he heard was going around about the district’s funding situation and the referendum.“The rumor got out there that we were receiving $500,000 also from the data center (being built in Cannon Falls), from Tract. I’m learning more about that and I have received people asking me about why I wasn't honest with them about that,” he said. “We did not receive a penny on that. We will never receive a cent of profit off of the data center, ever. If there’s anything I want to make clear, it’s that.”Minnesota state law allows school districts to levy up to $724 per pupil without having to go to their communities for a referendum. Randolph historically has not met that threshold and instead sits at about $625. That is the lowest dollar amount per pupil among area schools. If the referendum had passed, Randolph would have still remained the lowest among area schools in per pupil funding. The closest is St. Clair, which has an operational levy of $558 above that $724 number, or $657 above Randolph. New Prague is $757 above that $724 benchmark; Triton is $750 but also has a capital project levy of $659 for a total of $1,409; Goodhue is $800; Kenyon-Wanamingo is $1,059; Zumbrota-Mazeppa is $1,324; Cannon Falls is $1,450 plus a capital project levy of $477 for a total of $1,927; Red Wing is $1,650; Hastings is $1,757 plus a capital project levy of $515 for a total of $2,272; Farmington is $1,960 and Northfield is $2,257 plus a capital project levy of $556 for a total of $2,813. Kelley said he had not yet discussed next steps with the school board outside of that they will continue to assess the district’s financial situation. He said they did not receive much feedback from the public during the informational meetings outside of comments about Dakota County taxes going up. </div></body>

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The Randolph Schools operational levy referendum failed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with 724 “no” votes to 674 “yes” votes. The school district was asking the community to approve a $450 per pupil increase in student funding through the operational levy, which would come to about $390,000 each year in additional revenue for a term of 10 years. An operational levy is for the day-to-day operations of a district for areas like employment, utilities, supplies, technology, extracurriculars, etc. It is not for building a new school, which would require a bond referendum.

Randolph operational levy referendum fails

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The Randolph Schools operational levy referendum failed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with 724 “no” votes to 674 “yes” votes. The school district was asking the comm

Randolph operational levy referendum fails

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