Mounds View board hears presentation on $10 million-per-year capital projects levy after positive MDE review

The Mounds View School Board received a presentation on Sept. 16 about a proposed capital projects levy and was told the Minnesota Department of Education provided a positive review and comment permitting the district to proceed with a referendum in November.

Why it matters: The proposal, if approved by voters, would provide $10,000,000 a year for 10 years to finance security upgrades, cybersecurity protections and classroom technology without reallocating current operating funds, district presenters said.

Board member Shawna Bach, who led the presentation, described gaps identified in a 2024 technology evaluation and said the levy would target three priority areas: expanded and higher-quality security camera coverage, upgraded visitor-management and emergency notification systems, and strengthened cybersecurity and network infrastructure. "Security is number one," Bach said. "We want to invest in updated visitor management systems, updated camera systems, hack-resistant fobs, and our locking systems in general."

Superintendent Chris Lennox told the board the district submitted required materials to the Minnesota Department of Education this summer and "the commissioner and department staff" reviewed the project and concluded the proposed projects and expenditures were in the long-term interest of the district, allowing the district to move forward with the referendum.

The district presentation and an accompanying video said the levy would generate approximately $10 million annually for 10 years and estimated the average household in the district would pay about $18 per month. The presentation included operational details the district plans to address in phases: replacing aging interactive classroom displays, refreshing student devices such as Chromebooks and iPads, creating dedicated maker and coding spaces, and expanding instructional technology support.

District materials cited cybersecurity threats and operational strain: presenters stated the district blocks roughly 60,000 unauthorized access attempts per month, operates about 8,000 devices on its network on a typical day, flags about 1,800 emails for phishing monthly and prevents about 25,000 attempts to reach malicious websites. Bach and other presenters said newer camera systems and faster evidence access would help staff respond more quickly when incidents occur.

The presentation clarified that passage of the levy would not reduce current spending on class sizes or existing programming; presenters said lacking a dedicated revenue source would otherwise require redirecting operating funds to cover these technology and safety investments.

The district will place the capital projects levy on the November ballot. The board did not vote on placing the levy on the ballot at this meeting; staff characterized the session as an informational presentation and noted statutory requirements had been met to proceed. The district posted further details and a tax-impact calculator at mvpschools.org/saferschools and announced a district truth-and-taxation hearing for Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. at the District Center to provide final tax calculations and public comment.

The presentation also reminded residents that a school board election will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot and listed early voting locations and dates in the transcript (early voting beginning Oct. 17, with locations named in meeting materials).