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Mahtomedi Public School District places two-question referendum on Nov. 4 ballot to fund operating needs and $28M bond
Summary
Mahtomedi Public School District announced a two-question referendum on Nov. 4: an operating levy providing $575 per student and a $28 million bond for safety, infrastructure and learning-space upgrades. The district says failure of the operating levy would force cuts to class sizes, programs and staff.
Mahtomedi Public School District announced a two-question referendum for the Nov. 4 ballot that district representatives say is intended to shore up operating revenue and pay for a $28 million bond for facility and safety upgrades.
In a recorded message, an unnamed district speaker said Question 1 is an operating levy that would provide about $575 per student to help maintain class sizes, preserve academic programs and support long-term financial stability. Question 2 is a $28,000,000 bond aimed at districtwide safety, security and infrastructure improvements, including modern learning spaces, Americans with Disabilities Act–compliant fine-arts updates and athletic upgrades. The district said Question 2 would go forward only if Question 1 is approved.
The recording listed an estimated tax impact for an average-priced home of $17 per month for Question 1 and $15 per month for Question 2 if the measures pass. The district also said it has already made $2,000,000 in budget adjustments for the 2025–2026 school year and listed pressures including inflation outpacing funding, rising health insurance costs, workforce shortages, underfunded legislative mandates and increased transportation costs.
An unidentified classroom teacher (labeled in the transcript as Speaker 3) said, "Smaller class sizes make a huge difference. I can get to know my students and tailor my teaching and help in creating a classroom community where everyone feels seen and valued." The recording framed smaller class sizes as a central reason to support the operating levy.
District representatives in the recording also asserted the district has been a careful steward of taxpayer dollars and said that prior requests for funding resulted in delivered improvements; they warned that failure of the operating referendum could force larger class sizes, program reductions and staff cuts that would reverse progress made over the past three to five years.
The recording urged voters to visit the district website for more information and reminded listeners to vote on or before Tuesday, Nov. 4.
What the recording does not specify: the recording does not list the district’s estimated assessed-home value used to calculate the "average-priced home" tax impact; it does not identify which specific projects would be funded, beyond broad categories (safety, modern learning spaces, ADA upgrades, athletics); and it does not name individual speakers beyond generic speaker labels used in the transcript.
Next steps: the measures will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot; the recording did not describe further public hearings or a formal adoption process beyond the referendum itself.
