Farmington Schools Face Shortfall if Referendum Fails

Farmington Schools would need to cut $2.5 million over the next three years if three levy referendums fail, according to the district.

School District 192, which serves Farmington and part of Lakeville, would also “not have enough funding to operate the new high school, which would likely lead to renting portable classrooms to accommodate enrollment growth” in the event the referendum failed, according to information provided on the district’s website.

Overall, Farmington is seeking a levy increase of about $117 per year.

Strong Farmington Schools, and advocacy group supporting the referendum, says that’s clearly not enough.

“Farmington area schools receive $180 per pupil from voter-approved referendum revenue. The average school district in the state receives $796 per pupil from voter- approved referendum revenue,” the group noted on their website, StrongFarmingtonSchools.org.  “That puts Farmington schools at the low end resulting in having about $17,000 less per classroom than the average Minnesota school district.”

Strong Farmington Schools volunteer coordinator Kris Akin said that the district wasn’t being greedy in its request for additional funding.

“Our school board and administrators have worked hard over the last few months analyzing survey results, financial reports, budgets and programs,” said Akin in a statement.  “The questions reflect what they have determined is our current and future needs to operate our school district to provide a quality education for all of our children here in the Farmington area.”

District superintendent Brad Meeks agreed.  In a statement, he said, “In the end, the district has come to a point where, without additional funding, we won’t be able to provide the same services as in the past.”