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Parents urge Brainerd School Board to let voters decide levy rather than enact deep cuts
Summary
Dozens of parents and community members urged the Brainerd School Board to put a funding levy before voters to avoid program and staff cuts, citing larger class sizes, loss of specialized programs and harm to teacher retention; the board later approved a proposed tax levy for taxes payable 2026 to allow further public review.
Dozens of parents and community members urged the Brainerd School Board on Sept. 23 to seek a voter-approved levy instead of implementing proposed budget cuts that speakers said would shrink programs and swell classroom sizes.
The appeals came during the meeting’s public comment period as the board weighs several budget-reduction scenarios to close a shortfall. Speakers repeatedly asked the board to let the community decide between a tax increase and service reductions.
“Please let us decide,” said Ed Shaw, a business owner and parent. “The people, the public should decide — do we want to have a levy increase, pay a little more in taxes to avoid these cuts or do we want to have the cuts go through?”
Why it matters: Board members and staff have outlined multiple options for closing the district’s budget gap that would affect extracurriculars, transportation and classroom staffing. Parents said those options would change students’ daily experience, risk losing teachers and reduce the district’s ability to attract families.
Speakers described concrete impacts. Sarah Hayden Shaw, a parent at Forest View, said classroom sizes this fall already exceed 30 students in multiple classes and warned that further cuts would worsen conditions: “It’s over 30 for every 1 of their classes this year.”
Several commenters highlighted the potential elimination or reduction of the Agate program (also rendered in the record as “Aggie/AGIT”), an advanced elementary program. Ruby Shaw, a former Agate student, said cutting the program would “close so many opportunities to kids.” Bernita Morsch, whose siblings attend the program, described it as “perfect for me because I was challenged.”
Other speakers emphasized broader community consequences. Jared Erickson, a Brainerd High School graduate who returned to the district with his family, said reductions to arts, physical education and after‑school activities would make the district less attractive to returning or new families and risk a long-term admission decline.
Some speakers urged immediate fundraising as a short-term fix: “I’ve done some math and for us to raise $3,000,000 … 6,000 of us would need to each donate $500,” said Susanna Lamusma, arguing that community fundraising could provide relief if the board demonstrated unity.
Board action and next steps: The board voted in the same meeting to approve a proposed property tax levy at the maximum amount allowed under current information for taxes payable in 2026; the vote set a ceiling rather than a final dollar amount and allows the board to reduce the levy later. Director Donnellinger made the motion and Director Brecken seconded it; the motion carried.
The board will publish the proposed tax statement through county channels ahead of a public hearing scheduled for Dec. 8 and a final levy vote at the regular December meeting. Opponents of placing an operating levy on this November’s ballot noted separately during the meeting that, under the district’s timeline and statutory process, the earliest practical ballot opportunity would be next November.
Discussion vs. decision: The public comments were part of the meeting’s public input period and did not constitute formal direction or a board decision about specific cuts; the board asked district administrators to return with recommended plans that balance protecting student experience and long‑term fiscal stability. The levy vote on Sept. 23 set only a maximum property-tax amount for 2026 for further public review and does not by itself authorize new taxes beyond later final approval.
Community context and concerns: Speakers repeatedly warned of cascading effects — shrinking elective programs, longer bus rides, teacher departures and continued enrollment declines — and asked the board to involve staff and community in choices about tradeoffs. Several parents asked the board to prioritize giving teachers resources and to be transparent about what cuts each budget scenario would remove.
Ending: The board’s approval of a proposed levy moves the district to a public-review phase; district staff will present detailed budget tradeoffs and outreach plans in the coming weeks ahead of a formal public hearing in December.
