Brainerd board authorizes 10‑year operating referendum to appear on Nov. 3 ballot

The Brainerd Public School District board on Monday approved a resolution to place a 10‑year operating referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot that would authorize an increase of $865 per pupil in general education revenue, with future increases tied to inflation.

District staff described the authorization as a starting point for public-facing ballot language and said the board can amend the dollar amount up to the state’s Aug. 11 deadline for notifying the secretary of state and the Minnesota Department of Education. "Are the taxpayers of the district of Brainerd willing to increase their taxes to fund the district with more operating dollars," said Peter, the superintendent, summarizing the question that will appear to voters.

Board members debated several details during more than an hour of discussion. Director Heidman and others said the board should have a clear, public plan before asking voters for operating funds; Director Heidman said she would support the levy after noting the incoming superintendent has presented a "very good plan." Questions focused on how the referendum would interact with long‑term maintenance funds (LTFM) and whether the district might end up borrowing against those funds and paying interest. District staff clarified that using LTFM dollars would not by itself create interest costs unless the district issued bonds for projects.

Financial staff described the initial authorization as roughly a $5,000,000 revenue authorization and said the ballot language would include an inflation clause so the per‑pupil amount could rise each year. Board members noted that the per‑pupil figure is a formulaic method to produce a districtwide levy and that the exact taxpayer impact varies by property value and class of property.

The board voted by roll call to authorize the referendum language. Recorded votes in the meeting transcript show John Ward, Michelle Brecken, Randy Heidman and Sarah Spear voting yes and Stephanie Ederman voting no; one board member’s recorded vote did not appear in the transcript. The resolution does not commit the district to a final dollar figure until the board amends the language before the Aug. 11 statutory deadline.

Next steps include formalizing the ballot language, posting factual voter‑information material on the district website (which the district may do while remaining neutral), and, as several board members requested, developing a campaign‑adjacent community outreach plan so voters can evaluate options before the election.

Votes at the meeting were procedural: the board approved a motion to put the referendum authorization on the ballot; detailed levy amounts and local tax impacts will be finalized in subsequent meetings ahead of the Aug. 11 filing deadline.