Dr. Rapke, superintendent of Eastern Carver County Schools, told the Chaska City Council on Monday that the district’s school board has voted to place a 10-year operating levy on the Nov. 4 ballot that would ask for $742 per pupil with annual increases tied to inflation.
The ballot question, Dr. Rapke said, would cost the owner of a median-valued home in the district — currently about $500,000, he said — about $23 per month if the referendum passes. “We have two choices. We either budget cut or cost contain or raise revenue. And so that's where we've landed, to go out for a referendum,” he said.
The referendum is intended to shore up long-running gaps between state education funding and rising costs, Dr. Rapke told the council. He said the district has taken steps to limit administrative spending but still projects about $6.5 million in budget cuts if the levy fails. “80¢ on the dollar supports our students,” he said, describing how the district allocates operating dollars.
Nut graf: The levy would be an operating referendum to address inflation-driven funding shortfalls, preserve programs district leaders say the community values — including elementary gifted-and-talented services, music and counselors — and avoid program cuts the district says could include kindergarten paraprofessionals, class‑size increases and reductions to fine-arts offerings.
Dr. Rapke walked the council through the proposed investments the district would maintain if the levy is approved: enhanced gifted-and-talented services at the elementary level, maintained advanced academics at middle schools, two smaller high school campuses and increased mental-health counseling staff in the high schools. He said the district cut roughly $5 million last year and has run listening sessions with families while developing its proposal.
Council members and the mayor asked several procedural and outreach questions. Mayor Hubbard recommended staff return to the council at its Sept. 15 meeting with a draft council action the city could post on social media, noting early voting begins Sept. 19. A council member suggested a short set of five bullets the city could display outlining key uses for levy revenue to counter the common question that funding increases are driven by administrative costs.
The superintendent provided election timing and logistics: mail ballots will begin Sept. 19 and in-person voting is available Nov. 4; the Chaska Event Center will be one of the district’s polling locations while the Chaska Community Center is under construction. Dr. Rapke said the district will host community forums and a virtual presentation for voters.
Discussion versus action: The Chaska City Council did not vote on a position at Monday’s meeting. Mayor Hubbard asked staff to prepare a draft item for the Sept. 15 meeting to allow council consideration of formal city support or information distribution. The district’s board already voted to place the levy on the ballot; that board action was described to the council by Dr. Rapke but was not part of the city’s proceedings.
Ending: The superintendent encouraged residents to review the district’s referendum website and use a district phone line for questions. Council members expressed support for the schools and urged robust voter outreach. No formal city endorsement was adopted at Monday’s meeting; council consideration of a statement or informational post was scheduled for the Sept. 15 meeting.