2008 Referenda Analysis Minnesota School Boards Association MinnSPRA Power Hour

The totals – operating levy referenda 52 school districts going out for a levy referendum during Calendar Year percent of school districts passed at least one operating levy question 26 districts passed at least 1 question 17 passed all questions; 9 had mixed results 26 districts failed all questions

The totals – bond levy referenda 36 districts have or will be going out for bond or capital facilities projects this year. 21 passed at least 1 question 13 school districts had bond questions or capital facilities questions on election day 7 districts passed all questions 6 districts failed all questions

Average Referendum Revenue P/PU

How does it compare? YEARTOTALPASSFAILPERCTG % % % % % % % % % % %

Odd/Even/Presidential/Mail Ballot? YEARTOTALPASSFAILPERCTG % % % % % % % % % Total %

Even Years - Congressional YEARTOTALPASSFAILPERCTG % % % % % Total %

Even Years - Presidential YEARTOTALPASSFAILPERCTG % % % % % Total %

When should you go? Odd year is best TYPETOTALPASSFAILPERCTG ODD % Even-Cong % Mail Ballot % Even-Overall % Even-Pres %

Almost every district has operating levy YEARREF REVTOTALPERCTG % % % % % % % % %

How did they do: Districts with no levy Montgomery-LonsdaleBelgrade-Brooten-Elrosa St. ClairJordan* Milaca* New Richland-Hartland Ogilvie Pelican Rapids Proctor* PASSFAIL 2 pass, 7 fail

How did they do: Districts renewing Bemidji Howard Lake-Waverly Browns Valley Duluth Elk River Herman-Norcross Inver Grove Heights Le Sueur-Henderson Melrose Central Schools PASSFAIL 9 pass, 1 fail

How did they do: Districts $600+ Campbell-Tintah Greenway Parkers Prairie Hendricks Duluth (3 rd item) McLeod West Nashwauk-Keewatin Ogilvie Pelican Rapids Perham-Dent Rockford Area PASSFAIL 2 pass, 9 fail

How did they do: Multiple Questions Red WingGrand MeadowBlooming Prairie Mont.-LonsdaleDuluthCrosby-Ironton RobbinsdaleMelroseEdgerton Prior LakeWaseca St. Cloud Willmar PASS ALLSplitFAIL ALL 9 passed first question, 4 failed all

How did they do: Bond Multiple NorthlandIvanhoeHutchinson DelanoLewiston-Alt. St. Anthony-N.B. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa PASS ALLSplitFAIL ALL

Know what your district can support ACGC$1,444 Failed$1,075 Passed Bemidji$700 Failed$501 Passed Elk River$1,000 Failed$697 Passed Inver Grove Heights$769 Failed$364 Passed Montgomery-Lonsdale$450 Failed$307 Passed Prior Lake-Savage$1,472 Failed$1,051 Passed Robbinsdale$1,472 Failed$1,360 Passed St. Clair$675 Failed$550 Passed St. Cloud$650 Failed$555 Passed District2007 request2008 request

Regional trends – SW & NE Say No Western rural districts did poorly MACCRAY, Edgerton, Perham-Dent, Pelican Rapids, Litchfield, Hendricks, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Northeast rural districts did poorly Ogilvie, Proctor, Milaca, Greenway, Nashwauk-Keewatin, St. Louis County Northern suburban ring did poorly St. Francis, Rockford Area, Buffalo- Hanover-Montrose, Osseo, Brooklyn Center

Regional trends – Scattered winners A few that came up BIG Minneapolis Montgomery-Lonsdale Robbinsdale Ellsworth Red Wing ACGC Sauk Centre Parkers Prairie St. Clair Red Lake Falls

Close wins & heartbreaking losses Heartbreaking losses Walker-Hackensack loses by 160 votes Hendricks levy loses by 58 votes Brooklyn Center levy loses by 180 votes MACCRAY levy loses by 123 votes Howard Lake levy loses by 79: 839 to 918 Pelican Rapids levy loses by 147 votes Close wins ACGC wins by 97 votes Grand Meadow wins by 66 votes Campbell-Tintah wins by 33 votes

Referendum TWISTS Was Paul Dorr in Minneapolis or not? Duluth mired in controversy over red plan but renewal passes in landslide McLeod West says pass referendum or it will dissolve; fails by 167 votes. MACCRAY cuts school to 4 days and hopes to pass levy; fails by big margin Ogilvie faces SOD; levy fails Lake Park-Audubon bond vote goes down fifth time

Dos and Don’ts Don’t underestimate a no group; build trust and accountability every year so your positives are built up Do get the support of all the board or at least enough to keep dissenters from publicly blasting your plan Don’t guess at an amount the public will accept. Do your homework. Do start early, gather support and let Yes group have time to raise funds.

Summary Odd-year elections still the best Multiples usually get 1 st question, not others Know what kind of increase your taxpayers are willing to take Renewals had high percentage passing Operating levies are NOT going away, but are getting tougher to pass

2008 Referenda Analysis Thank You Greg Abbott, Associate Director of Communications