A Sign of the Times - Question 1 Passes to Fix School Roofs, Excess Levy Fails

In a just-completed mail-in public vote, the taxpayers of B-B-E voted down an excess levy referendum for the first time in the history of the school district. The only good sign was the passage of "Question 1" which allows taxes to be raised to fix the roofs of both school buildings. Since the 1989 pairing of the former school districts for academic and athletic purposes, excess levies were passed in 1990, 1994, and 2003. A building bond referendum was passed in the 1992 election, which raised taxes to create what we now see as our 2 school buildings.

I wanted to add a bit more information before I head to the school board meeting. The vote in 2003 was for a small levy that dealt with safety & heating control issues in the two school buildings. The vote in 1990 was a levy for the former Brooten district only, a levy mill that was raised in order to pay off debt built up by that school district in the 1980s. (Basically, an honorable attempt to clean things up before the two former districts ultimately consolidated into the current, unified B-B-E school district 2364.)

The "heavy lifting" by taxpayers was done in 1992 and 1994. Those tax hikes helped create what we've had as a school district over the past 15 or so years. It's now time for the school district to figure out what to do with lower revenues. I do not envy their position.

Tonight the school board will begin steps to figure out what to do, with their regular monthly meeting at 7:30 at the high school commons area.

This was not unexpected. Of course, school officials had high hopes that district taxpayers would keep up the perfect streak of "thumbs up" votes we've enjoyed at B-B-E. However, the economy is in the tank. Gas is hovering around the $4 mark. Times are tough. The school will further tighten their belt, along with every other family budget in the area.

We certainly are not the first school district to experience a failed excess levy vote. Heavy lifting must be done, starting this summer, in order to restore confidence in the school to taxpayers. I will keep up my calls to form a new athletic conference. I have many other ideas on how to save money for the school, most coming from a little common sense. Some are controversial, however, so they won't find their way on this website.

Sidebar: The Elrosa Saints travel to New Munich this Sunday for a 1:30 game against the undefeated Silverstreaks. The Saints are in a battle with the Spring Hill Chargers for the 2-seed slot for upcoming division playoffs in July.