Cannon Falls Area Schools to ask voters for $950-per-pupil operating levy on Nov. 4

Presenter (school district representative) told the council that Cannon Falls Area Schools will ask district voters on Nov. 4 to approve an operating levy of $950 per pupil, subject to an annual increase tied to the consumer price index.

The district said the levy revenue would support day-to-day operations amid rising costs from inflation, state-mandated programs that the district must implement, and broader student needs such as mental‑health supports and specialized learning services.

Presenter said the district previously asked voters for a levy last November; that referendum failed and the district made nearly $800,000 in reductions for the 2025–26 school year. The district described cuts that already were implemented, including eliminating some teaching and coaching positions, reducing curriculum and technology subscriptions, delaying maintenance and bus purchases, eliminating a bus route and restructuring administrative positions.

District materials shown at the presentation contrast the district’s per‑pupil funding with an inflation‑adjusted baseline and say there is a cumulative funding gap since 2003. Presenter said the district is seeking the $950-per-pupil authorization and described the local revenue target as roughly $1 million. A different line in the presentation referenced an estimated revenue figure that appears inconsistent in the transcript (see provenance); the exact total revenue estimate was not clearly specified in the meeting record.

The district presented a homeowner cost example: on a home with an estimated market value of $375,000, the levy would add about $325 a year, roughly $27 per month, to school property taxes. Presenter said that adding the levy would raise total school property taxes from about $1,276 to roughly $1,600 on that example home.

Presenter listed potential reductions the school board has identified if the levy fails to pass: eliminating teaching positions (which could raise average class sizes in kindergarten through second grade to about 26 students), reducing physical education to the state minimum (from daily PE to every other day), eliminating course offerings, charging for in‑town bus service (the district noted state law does not require busing within two miles), increasing activity and facility fees, reducing coaching and support staff, charging for livestream viewing and considering a four‑day school week. Presenter said another round of roughly $700,000 in reductions would be needed the following year if voters do not approve the levy.

The presentation noted Cannon Falls Area Schools’ academic performance and extracurricular strengths—higher-than-state-average reading and math scores, a graduation rate above the state average, career and technical education courses, and recognition for its food service program—but framed the levy as necessary to maintain programs and staffing amid rising costs.

Voting information provided at the meeting: early voting hours and locations are available through the district website; election‑day voting on Nov. 4 will be held at City Hall from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Presenter encouraged residents to review the district’s online materials and to contact district leaders with questions.

A council member asked whether the state has signaled funding relief; Presenter replied that legislators and the state discuss funding but that reliable, predictable increases have not materialized and future state support is uncertain.

Votes at a glance: The referendum is a ballot question for voters on Nov. 4; it is not a council or school-board motion recorded at this meeting and therefore had no local vote outcome to report at the time of the presentation.