Elk River $132 Million Bond Request Is One of 99 Levy and 26 Bond Referendums to be Decided Tuesday

From Albany to Wrenshall, school districts are asking taxpayers to renew or increase their funding levels. A total of 99 districts are seeking operational funding while an additional 26 are seeking either capital project levies or bonding authority.

Notable among the requests is Elk River School District, asking for both a $132 million bond to accommodate growth as well as a $303 per pupil increase for operational costs for a ten year term.

In Stillwater, where a levy referendum was defeated last year, the campaign turned ugly as individuals from both sides of the debate resorted to unsavory tactics. An anonymous blogger named “The Stillwater Infidel,” later revealed to be former school board member Thomas Nancy apologized for posting private information about levy opponents. Then a 17 year-old Stillwater High School senior was arrested for stealing anti-levy lawn signs after levy supporters claimed that nearly 100 “Yes to Kids!” signs went missing.

The race in Robbinsdale is gaining attention as well, where levy opponents have hired controversial Iowa-based consultant Paul Dorr. Dorr was profiled as a levy-killer-for-hire in 2005 by City Pages , while working to defeat a levy in the small farming community of Lyle. Despite that reputation Dorr and his fellow levy opponents did not participate in an open forum on the levy referendum.

The Minnesota School Board Association will be posting election results later tonight while providing levy information from around the state.