FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Click to learn about:
Is the district asking for the same things that it did in its 2023 referendum?
No. After last year’s failed referendum, we listened to feedback and developed this year’s referendum to focus on maintaining, not adding.
In 2023, Inver Grove Heights Schools put a referendum on the ballot to ask for funds to add opportunities that students, families, and community members had been asking for. That referendum explored expanding world language K-8, adding career exploration classes at the middle and high school, providing professional development for teachers, and increasing safety and mental health supports in addition to maintaining class sizes.
After losing some staff and programming after the failed referendum, we listened to the community’s feedback on the 2023 referendum to help shape this year’s ballot question. This 2024 referendum is about need. Without approval for this November’s referendum, Inver Grove Heights Schools will lose teachers and discontinue programming while significantly increasing class sizes.
What is a Levy? Bond?
Levies are for learning; bonds are for buildings.
An operating levy is for funds that the district uses to run and operate its schools. Levies are for running the educational programs at the school and funds go to the district’s general fund.
Bond levies are for funds that the school district uses for new construction, updates to existing facilities, and other additions to school properties.
An increase to the school district’s operating levy will allow the school district to continue funding educational programs and delivering quality education to students over the next ten years. The operating levy provides funding that goes toward teaching and educational materials, staff, transportation, and more.
What are the details about the current operating levy situation?
Our "per student" amount is less than half that of others, and it will stay that way.
Inver Grove Heights Schools has one operating levy in place that expires in 2027. The current operating levy provides $710 in revenue per student to supplement state revenue. The Dakota County school district average operating levy revenue is $1,607 per student. Our operating levy is also less than half that of our surrounding school districts:
Having trouble viewing the graph? Click here.
What happens if the levy fails?
Increased class sizes and loss of opportunities.
Click here to watch the video on Vimeo.
Haga clic aquí para ver este vídeo en español.
ISD 199 made budget cuts to balance a $1.8 million deficit in its 2024-2025 budget, and an additional $2 million shortfall is projected for the 2025-2026 school year. The shortfalls are due to insufficient state funding that has not kept up with inflation. In the 2024-2025 budget, the district made staffing, programming, and operational changes to adjust for the shortfall and went through its annual process to adjust teaching staff to fit each school’s needs. Deficit spending is not sustainable.
If voters do not approve the referendum question, we would reduce at least $2 million from our budget next school year. Considerations may include, but are not limited to:
- Increased class sizes
- Elementary: Up to 34 students in a class (9 more per class)
- Middle School: Up to 41 students in a class (11 more per class)
- High School: Up to 43 students in a class (11 more per class)
- Staff reductions - up to 24 staff members
- Discontinued programming districtwide, such as fine arts opportunities like band and choir program options
- Increased athletics fees and limited non-conference travel
- Increased facility fees for community groups
Why does the district need an additional SRO?
Safer schools, safer community!
It’s typical to have two School Resource Officers (SROs) to fully cover a district our size. Our SRO provides support for safety concern investigations and emergency response in addition to building relationships with thousands of students to prevent safety issues from arising. With two SROs, we could cover simultaneous needs and build twice as many positive relationships. When SROs build trust with kids, it translates into a safer community!
Why does the district want to increase cybersecurity?
We want to keep our community and their data safe.
Schools locally and nationwide have been targeted by cyberattacks that have left them paying thousands to remove ransomware or losing student data to criminals. A portion of referendum funds, if approved, would help add an additional layer of cybersecurity to protect the student data entrusted to us. It would also allow us to keep pace with evolving protection needs.
How would updating security equipment benefit the district and the community?
When it comes to safety, a quick response makes a difference.
Having updated security equipment like building cameras or fobbed access helps prevent safety issues. When a safety concern does arise, the proper security equipment helps make investigations faster and more reliable so the issue can be resolved before it becomes a bigger problem.
How much funding will be left after the budget deficit is resolved?
About 2 FTEs for safety goals.
The budget deficit for 2025-2026 is predicted to be about $2 million. If the levy increase is approved, the district will have $2.2 million to fully avoid budget reductions and fulfill its promises to enhance safety by hiring an additional School Resource Officer (SRO), updating security equipment like building cameras, and increasing cybersecurity to keep up with evolving data protection needs.
Having trouble viewing the chart? Click here.
Why didn't the school district try to get part of the state surplus?
We did, but surplus funds were not allocated to schools. Even if they had been, they would only be one-time funds.
Inver Grove Heights Schools is part of advocacy organizations, like the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), that have staff dedicated to lobbying on behalf of school districts. Our school district also communicates funding needs to the state senator and two state representatives in our district who are strong advocates for our schools. We use these methods to advocate for funds every year, including during discussions about Minnesota’s surplus.
Ultimately, school districts did not receive any of the surplus funds. However, even if we had, they would have been one-time funds that would not carry over year-to-year. After the one-time surplus funds were spent on the year’s operations, we would be back in a similar situation to the one we are in now.
Didn’t the state just provide an increase to schools?
Yes, but…
Click here to watch the video on Vimeo.
It’s true that the Minnesota Legislature approved a 4% increase for public education in 2022. However, this funding has not made up for two decades of underfunding. This chart shows the history.
Having trouble viewing the graphic? Click here.
Does the city provide any funds for the school district?
No, and…
Inver Grove Heights Schools is proud to partner with the City of Inver Grove Heights to serve the community. However, the city does not provide any funds to our schools. Our funding sources are mainly state, federal, and local, plus a small portion of funding from various sources such as interest, athletics fees, and donations.
Our School Resource Officer (SRO), who is a member of the Inver Grove Heights Police Department, is a great example of our partnership with the city. However, we pay 100% of the cost when our SRO is serving our buildings, unlike some school districts that only pay for a portion of the cost.
Having trouble viewing the chart? Click here.
Is the district financially stable?
Yes, but…
The district operates efficiently and maintains a fund balance that would allow us to continue operating temporarily if state funding did not come through on time, which has happened before. However, we have had to operate leaner and leaner each year. By doing so, we were able to avoid budget cuts until last year. We required significant cuts for the 2024-2025 school year to balance a $1.8 million deficit. We tried to keep cuts as far from students as possible, but some programming, like the German language pathway, was cut and 18 staff members were reduced. Unless additional revenue is approved, budget cuts will be necessary again and will affect class sizes, staffing, and more student opportunities.
Is the district financially responsible?
Our community believes we are.
A 2023 stratified random-sample survey of the community asked respondents to grade the district’s financial management. Of those who graded the district’s financial management, 73% gave it an A or B. When compared to 2017 responses, the number of A’s and B’s increased from 67% of respondents and the number of D’s and F’s decreased from 12% to 2%!
The district has worked hard to be a good steward of the public’s tax money. This February, ISD 199 initiated a bond refunding that will save taxpayers $2.4 million over the next 10 years. Over the last 10 years, ISD 199 has refinanced bonds to save taxpayers more than $5 million in property taxes.
Professional organizations have recognized ISD 199 for its financial management. This year marks the 19th consecutive time the district has earned a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). The certificate recognizes excellence in the school district’s financial reporting and transparency.
ISD 199 also has an underlying Aa3 credit rating and an enhanced rating of Aa2 from Moody’s, which indicate the district’s strong credit-worthiness.
Why can't the district just “tighten its belt”?
Further cuts will affect students and their opportunities.
ISD 199 made $1.8 million in reductions for the current school year. Although the district tried to keep cuts away from students for 2024-2025, we will not be able to do so without additional revenue if we must resolve a $2 million deficit – which is predicted for the 2025-2026 school year.
Budget cuts decrease student opportunities. ISD 199 is proud of its efficiency. We right-size staffing to enrollment each year, reducing staff if enrollment drops. We spend 68% of our revenue on instruction and just 4% on administration. Future budget cuts will impact students through increased class sizes and discontinued programming. This will risk our ability to provide the quality education that draws students to our district.
Having trouble viewing the graphic? Click here.
The district’s enrollment is declining. Shouldn’t we expect you to make budget reductions?
We right-size staff to enrollment every year, but…
Every year, the district adjusts teaching staff to fit each school’s needs based on enrollments. However, cuts need to be deeper, or additional revenue found, in order to maintain class sizes and the same level of programming. Our costs are escalating at or above the inflation rate, while state revenue falls further and further behind the rate of inflation, leaving us short.
We also know that providing quality programming and experiences plays a significant role in retaining the enrollment of resident students and attracting families to our community.
Why is the district mailing referendum information?
We have an obligation to inform our entire community.
A vast majority of Inver Grove Heights (80%) does not have school-aged children. However, we believe that our schools are everyone’s business. We also heard feedback, in our 2023 Post-referendum Survey, that voters did not feel informed last year. This year, we are dedicated to ensuring that information reaches every household, and the U.S. Mail helps us do that.
While we can reach those in our schools through email or social media, we utilize the U.S. Mail to make sure our whole community is informed. When we mail, we always find a low cost option for the information we want to provide, and we prepare the mail so postage is as low as possible. For example, we were able to print (67 cents) and mail (12 cents) our Referendum Brochure, pictured on the left, for about the cost of one stamp (73 cents)!
I’m worried that I won’t be able to afford this.
You may be eligible for tax relief.
- A property tax credit, “Ag2School,” can provide owners of agricultural property with a credit for the taxes attributable to school district debt service. Property tax programs are also available for veterans, neighbors with disabilities, and more. Click here for Minnesota’s Property Tax Refund programs.
How much does the district spend on administrators?
ISD 199 only has the administrators required to operate the district.
The reality is that Inver Grove Heights Schools only has the district administrator positions required by the state and federal government to maintain our buildings, finances, contracts, and learning. Administrator compensation is kept around the average for the market to keep our district competitive, but it is one of the lower-paying districts in the southwest metro area. Our administration costs account for 4.67% of our budget, with about half of those costs going to school administration and about half going to district administration.
I have seen the district doing construction. Why don’t you use that money to cover the upcoming deficit?
Capital funds cannot be used for learning.
Both the Salem Hills Elementary School and Hilltop Elementary School parking lots used abatement bonds. Abatement bonds can only be used for parking lot repairs, replacements, and renovations. The school board approved these abatement bonds in 2022 when interest rates were low, so they only accounted for $2 per month on the average homeowner’s taxes.
The Salem Hills parking lot also used one-time funds from the sale of the South Grove Elementary School property, which closed in 2008. Those sale funds could only be used for capital purchases, like facility improvements, and not for learning.
I don’t have any students in the district. Why should I support this levy increase?
Our students. Our future.
Education is the first step to an effective workforce. What students learn today could fuel the Inver Grove Heights community’s economy tomorrow. That is why ISD 199 is asking for an increase to continue educational opportunities that are helping students understand their career options and make informed decisions about their futures. A portion of the increase would also help the district enhance safety in our schools and in the community. The average homeowner in the ISD 199 school district will contribute $13.75 if the increase passes, or less than $14 to support an even safer and more successful Inver Grove Heights.
How do schools impact the community?
Good schools mean strong home values.
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, there is a definite correlation between school expenditures and home values in any given neighborhood. A report titled, “Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending,” found that for every dollar spent on public schools in a community, home values increased $20. These findings indicate that additional school expenditures may benefit everyone in the community, whether or not those residents actually have children in the local public school system.
Get Your Questions Answered
If you have questions regarding our referendum, please browse this Referendum website, www.isd199.org/referendum, or contact us via email at [email protected].
VOTE NOVEMBER 5