Mounds View board approves resolution to seek capital levy for safety, security and technology

The Mounds View School Board on June 17 approved a resolution to place a capital projects levy question on the November ballot to fund safety, security and technology improvements across the district.

School board members and district leaders said the dedicated levy would preserve general fund dollars for classroom instruction while providing a separate revenue stream for security cameras, radios, visitor-management systems, digital displays, electronic door locks, and classroom technology replacements that administrators say are aging or in short supply.

Superintendent Lennox told the board the district has conducted several technology and security audits and concluded that "our schools are safe, but they could be safer." He said current technology purchases come from the district general fund and compete with classroom needs, and that a dedicated levy would allow the district to maintain instructional programs while making targeted safety and learning-technology investments.

Lennox said the survey work by Morris Leatherman showed community support for safety and technology spending and that district staff had tested a hypothetical funding question of up to $10,000,000. He described the types of projects the levy could fund: camera and radio upgrades, visitor-management hardware and software, digital in-school messaging to reduce anxiety during holds, electronic locks and fobs that can be disabled if lost, interactive classroom displays and replacement cycles for student and staff devices.

Board member Sadie, speaking during discussion, said the board had "done the homework" through audits and work sessions and emphasized the district had discussed the proposals over the past year. The board then moved to adopt the resolution; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

Next steps outlined by the administration include public information and outreach about the levy question in the months before the November election.

Details from the meeting: the district described itself as serving about 11,000 students and roughly 1,600 employees while discussing the scale of potential investments; that figure was cited by administration during the presentation. The resolution itself calls for a capital projects levy focused on safety, security and classroom technology and for a special election/ballot question in November 2025.